1.N  D  S  AND  r  0 E  S 


IN     THE 


Helen   M    Prichard 


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FRIENDS  AND  FOES  IN  THE  TEANSKEL 


LONDON  : 
GILBF.UT    AND    BIVINGTON,    PRINT  EKS, 

ST.  John's  square. 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Arciiive 

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FEIENDS    AND   FOES    IN 

"^        THE    TEANSKEI:  _^ 

AN  ENGLISHWOMAN'S  EXPERIENCES  DURING  f^^ 

THE  CAPE  FRONTIER  WAR  OF  1877-8.  /  B^^ 


BT 

HELEN  M.   PRICHARD. 


EonKou : 
SAMPSON  LOW,  MARSTON,  SEARLE,   &   RIVIXGTOX, 

CROWN  BUILDINGS,  183,  FLEET  STREET. 

1880. 

\_All  rights  reserved. 1 


MADAME   LA   COMTESSE   DE   LA   TAILLE   DES   ESSARTS, 

AND    TO 

MADAME     LA     BARONNE     D'ARLHAC, 

€\)ii  It'ttlt  31^oIume  t^  IBitJicatetJ, 

IN 

Most  AfTectionate  Remembrance  of  my  happy  Visit  to  Versailles. 

17,  Newton  Soad,  Baygreafer,  London,  W. 


PREFACE. 

This  work  is  compiled  from  rough  notes, 
diary,  and  private  letters  written  to  personal 
friends.  The  writer  hopes  that  what  has 
proved  interesting  to  her  own  circle  may  not 
be  deemed  altogether  unworthy  of  perusal  by 
the  greater  world  composed  of  those  who 
take  an  interest  in  the  late  events,  in  South 
Africa.  Although  the  details  of  the  cam- 
paign have  been  already  ably  and  powerfully 
presented  to  the  public  by  the  pens  of  our 
special  correspondents,  yet  there  are  many 
links  in  the  chain  of  events  which  imme- 
diately preceded  the  war,  that  can  only 
be  supplied  by  those  who  were  on  the  spot 


viii  Preface. 

at  that  time.  As  Mrs.  Prichard  was  in  the 
Transkei  for  some  time  before  the  advance 
of  the  Imperial  troops  took  place,  she  ven- 
tures to  lay  her  personal  experiences  of  our 
"  Friends  and  Foes,"  before  the  public. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGB 

Arrival  at  Table  Bay — Job's  Comforters — A  Cape 
Cart — Jolianna  Gcg — Passengers  and  Portman- 
teaux .         .  .         .         .  .         .  .1 

CHAPTER  11. 

Departure  for  the  Transkei — Arrival  at  the  Docks — 
Mrs.  Gog's  sister — Bad  weather — Port  Elizabeth     11 

CHAPTER  III. 

Port  Alfred — New  Life-boat — The  Basket-trick — 
Landing  at  East  London— Chaos — Dowell's  hotel 
— Customs  quay — Gog  and  Magog      .         .         .16 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Invitations  — Mrs.  Gog's  Musical-Box — The  Wagon 
— A  South  African  Omnibus — The  Pontoon — 
liiver-scenery — The  Railway  Station — A  Sup- 
posed Martinet    .         .         .         .         .         .         .20 


X  Contents. 

CHAPTER   V. 

PAGE 

Fort  Jackson — Kafir  huts  and  Kafir  kraals — Visions 
of  Mephistoplieles — Arrival  at  King  William's 
Town  ........     37 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Mrs.  Gog  comes  to  the  Rescue — Walk  from  the  rail- 
way station — First  impressions  of  King  William's 
Town — Arrival  at  the  residence  of  Commandant 
Bo  wker— Table-talk 43 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Climate  of  the  Eastern  Provinces — Swedish  furniture 
— Trials  and  tribulations  of  a  "  Grrass-widow  "  !     .     48 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Shopping  at  King  William's  Town — The  Dinner- 
hour — "  Do  at  Rome  as  the  Romans  do  "—A 
South  African  cup  of  coffee — Transformation- 
scene  .........     53 

CHAPTER  IX. 

"Patience  on  a  Monument  " — Rapid  Changes  of  Tem- 
perature— Sunday  at  the  Commandant's — A  deli- 
-  ciously. untidy  garden — Farewell  to  civilisation — 
Anxious  thought  for  the  Morrow  .         .         .59 


Contents.  xi 

CHAPTER  X. 

PAGE 

Bathos  ! — A  Welcome  Arrival — Another  Job's  Com- 
forter— Vain  attempts  to  start  early — Antediluvian 
appearance  of  wagons — The  "  cartel  " — I  have 
my  own  way,  and  regret  it — Ups  and  downs  of  a 
wagon  journey — Some  gratuitous  feminine  sug- 
gestions for  the  War  Office — "  Here  we  are  !  " — 
A  Disagreeable  Surprise — A  Generous  Hostess — 
Hangman's  Bush         ......     G4 

CHAPTER  XI. 

High-tea  in  Kaffraria — Recollections  of  Stanfield — 
A  Romance  in  real  life — Souvenir  of  a  Cheshire 
drawing-room      .......     76 

CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Guards — A  Daring  Theft — Picnic  in  the  Prairie 
—  Amateur  housekeepers  —  Stepping-stones  — 
Charms  to  be  found  even  in  wagon-travelling — 
Dreie-bosch  .......     80 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

An  Old  Friend — A  New  Acquaintance — Cheery  little 
Komgha  —  Polyglot  Household  Brigade  —  The 
Empress  of  Delhi         ......     8G 


xiv  Contents. 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

PAGE 

Declaration  of  War — An  Eventful  Morning-ride ! — 
Rush  of  refugees  into  the  Reserve — Kindness  of 
Mr.  Gumming — Wasted  work  and  needless  sym- 
pathy . 171 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 

The  27th  September — A  day  of  suspense — The  Faint- 
ing Phantom — Tidings  of  Defeat — The  Guadana 
affair — The  enemy  expected,  in  "  half  an  hour  " 
■ — Johanna  distinguishes  herself — "  Multum  in 
parvo  " — A  terrible  night    .....  179 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

A  Dreadful  Day — Fidelity  of  Kafir  servants — Not 
quite  the  time  for  an  argument — Departure  of 
police  officers — Noble  conduct  of  escort — Klepto- 
mania rampant  —  Horrors  of  War — Farewell, 
Idutywa  ! — A  trying  scene — "  Over  hill,  over 
dale  " — A  race  with  the  foe — Carriage  stopped  by- 
armed  Kafirs — "  On  the  Veldt  "" — Kind  traders — 
Off  again 192 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Morning  journey  to  Blythwood— A  cordial  welcome 
— Hardships  of  war — More  Kindness — Commer- 
cial creed — Arrival  of  the  wagons         .         .         .213 


Contents.  xv 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

PAQB 

Jubanna  fails  to  Comprehend  our  Position — More 
horrors —Daily  routine — A  visit  from  my  husband  228 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Petty  trials,  the  hardest  to  bear — No  rose  without  a 
thorn— A  Bashaw—"  All's  well  that  ends  weU  "  .  237 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Invasion  of  the  Gcaikas — An  awkward  delay — 
Doctor's  visit — We  leave  Blythwood — Journey  to 
Toleni — Breakfast  in  a  Wagon — Entrance  into 
Toleni .253 

CHAPTER   XXX. 

We  take  refuge  in  the  police  camp — TJnforeseen 
considerations — Kafoosalem — Serious  anxiety       .  263 

CHAPTER   XXXI. 

A  Child's  Funeral — Illness — Life  in  a  dungeon — A 
Kafir  Palace 279 

CHAPTER   XXXII. 

Arrival  of  the  24'th  regiment  at  Toleni — "  Under 
orders  for  home " — Official  inspection  of  the 
General  Commanding-in-Chief — A  novice  in  the 
Cuisine        ........  286 


xvi  Contents. 

CONCLUSION. 

PAGE 

Arrival  of  "  Wood's  Flying  Column  "  at  Toleni — 
Mutton  or  Music  ? — Such  a  band  ! — The  Queen's 
Colours — An  Impromptu  Christening — Anecdote 
of  a  Kafir  girl — Failing  health — Projected  tour — 
Zanzibar !  —Adieu  ! — God  save  the  Queen  !  .         .  289 


FEIENDS  AND  FOES  IN  THE  TEANSKEL 


CHAPTER  I. 

Arrival  at  Table  Bay— Job's  Comforters — A  Cape  Cart — 
Johanna  Gog — Passengers  and  Portmanteaux. 

On  the  13tli  of  May,  1876,  I  arrived  with 
my  husband  at  Table  Bay,  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  ;  accompanied  by  our  only  child,  a  Httle 
boy  two  years  and  a  half  old. 

A  few  weeks  later  my  husband  received  in- 
structions from  Government  to  proceed  at 
once  to  the  Umtata — a  remote  district  about 
one  hundred  miles  beyond  the  eastern 
frontier,  and  as  circumstances  concurred  to 
prevent  my  accompanying  him,  I  was  left  for 
ten  dreary  months,  in  perhaps  the  most  try- 
ing position  in  which  a  woman  can  be  placed  ; 

B 


2         Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

and  I  never  recall  that  lonely,  weary  time  at 
the  Cape  without  a  shudder ! 

However,  as  time  went  on,  I  was  fortunate 
in  gaining  many  steadfast  and  faithful  friends, 
whose  kindness  I  remember  with  the  brightest 
and  warmest  recollection,  and  whose  pros- 
perity and  happiness  will  always  give  me 
pleasure. 

During  this  period  another  dear  little  son 
was  sent  to  comfort  me,  but  his  delicate 
Health  proved  an  additional  source  of  anxiety, 
and  I  was  indeed  thankful  when  a  telegram 
from  my  husband  heralded  his  speedy  arrival, 
as  my  baby  was  in  a  most  critical  state,  and 
I  much  feared  the  gentle,  patient  spirit  would 
quit  the  fragile  little  body  before  his  father 
had  looked  upon  his  sweet  face. 

However,  he  rallied,  and  was  sitting  upon 
my  lap,  playing  with  his  tiny  toys,  when  (on 
my  husband's  birthday,  the  29th  May,  '\'^11)^ 
baby's  nurse,  my  good  Kitty,  threw  open  the 
door,  and — in  a  would-be  dignified,  but  very 
excited  and  happy  voice,  announced  my  hus- 
band as  if  he  were  a  stranger !  Little  Henry, 
who  had  been   promoted  to  knickerbockers 


Farewell  Visits  to  Friends. 


since  Papa  went  away,  stood  gazing  at  the 
sunburnt  visitor  rather  suspiciously;  and  I 
think  we  all  felt  a  httle  shy  (as  people  are 
apt  to  do  after  long  partings),  and  a  httle 
confused  as  to  what  to  speak  of  first,  where 
there  was  so  much  to  say  and  hear. 

I  thought  the  best  thing  we  could  do  was 
to  go  out  for  a  long  walk,  which  ended  in  a 
luncheon  with  Colonel  Lanyon  (then  Adminis- 
trator of  Griqualand  West),  at  Cogill's  Hotel, 
next  door  to  Drake's  boarding-house,  where 
we  were  staying. 

After  lunch,  my  husband  and  I  had  a 
charming  drive  through  the  pretty  environs 
of  Wynberg,  paying  farewell  visits  to  our 
friends  and  arranging  a  programme  which 
would  enable  us  to  accomphsh  all  that  had  to 
be  done  before  starting  for  the  Transkei, 
which  we  hoped  to  do  in  about  ten  days. 

Pardon  my  dwelling  sa  long  upon  this 
happy  day,  one  of  the  brightest  in  my 
life! 

It  was  so  delightful  to  feel  cared  for  again, 
and  to  have  no  more  solitary  walks  to  face, 
that  I  venture  to  hope  my  gentle  readers  may 
B  2 


4         Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

bear  patiently  with  me  :  and  I  do  not  write 
for  those  who  are  not  gentle. 

War  and  its  horrors  will  follow  fast 
enough  \  prosaic  packing  and  practical  pre- 
paration for  a  rough  frontier  life ;  and  I  claim 
some  excuse  for  lingering  lovingly  over  my 
last  sunbeam,  my  idle,  merry,  happy  day, 
which  preceded  days  of  hard  work,  and  nights 
of  anxious  thought ;  bracing  myself  for  the 
hardships  of  the  rough  future  which  lay  before 
me,  and  wondering  if  I  could  really  be  use- 
ful in  a  life  for  which  my  education  had  so 
little  fitted  me. 

My  friends  too,  were  rather  too  bad,  in 
warning  me  about  all  the  horrors  I  had  to 
expect  [  One  lady  informed  me  she  had  fre- 
quently been  compelled  to  cut  up  a  sheep 
with  her  own  hands  1  and  I  could  not 
imagine  myself  in  the  character  of  a  butcher  ! 
though  willing  to  turn  baker  occasionally. 
But  these  stories  did  not  alarm  me  so  much 
as  the  gentle  kindness  and  suggestions  offered 
by  those  who  really  felt  for  me ;  and  I  eagerly 
welcomed  every  scrap  of  information  to  enable 
me    somewhat   to    picture  and  prepare   for 


Advantages  of  the  Cape-Cart.  5 

this  strange,  weird  Kafirland,  to  which  I 
resolutely  turned  my  face,  and  in  which  I 
hoped  to  make  a  happy  home  for  my  husband 
and  children. 

There  was  some  delay  in  receiving  instruc- 
tions from  Government,  and  we  did  not  start 
on  our  long  journey  until  the  6th  July,  when 
we  took  leave  of  our  kind  friends  at  Drake's, 
and  drove  off  in  a  Cape  cart  to  the  Docks. 

This  Cape  cart  is  an  invention  admir- 
ably adapted  for  keeping  the  feet  cold,  and 
the  head  hot !  beyond  these  advantages  I 
see  few  others,  and  these  are  rather  ques- 
tionable !  It  certainly  bears  a  distant  family- 
likeness  to  a  French  char-a-bancs,  and  also 
to  the  ubiquitous  American  buggy,  but 
is  evidently  looked  upon  as  a  poor  rela- 
tion, possessing  neither  the  comfort  of  one 
nor  the  elegance  of  the  other.  However,  the 
uncomfortable  Cape  cart  reigns  supreme  in 
South  Africa,  and  into  one  we  were  compelled 
to  climb  on  this  July  morning — no  English 
July,  remember,  but  the  first  month  of  the 
Cape  winter.  A  raw  Scotch  mist,  soon 
turned   into  equally  raw  rain,  succeeded  by 


6         Friends  and  Foes  in  the  T^^anskei. 

blazing  sunshine,  wliicli  finally  ushered  in  a 
furious  south-easter. 

At  the  docks  we  met  a  certain  Mrs.  (xog, 
whom  I  had  engaged  a  few  days  before  as 
nurse,  and  who  subsequently  became  quite  a 
celebrity  in  the  Transkei.  I  was  most  anxious 
that  Kitty  should  accompany  us,  but  a  sweet- 
heart objected  (naturally)  to  her  departure, 
and  of  course  I  had  to  submit !  For  weeks  I 
sought  in  vain  for  a  suitable  person  to  replace 
her,  and  was  almost  in  despair  when  a  knock 
at  my  door  announced  a  lady  in  an  Ulster, 
who  described  herself  as  Johanna  Gog  !  ! 

At  first  sight  the  idea  of  an_y  thing  so  rough- 
looking  even  touching  my  little  Granville  oc- 
curred to  me  as  so  inexpressibly  ludicrous 
that  I  could  scarcely  repress  a  smile ;  but  a 
moment's  consideration  reminded  me  that 
rough  people  suited  rough  places,  and  that 
this  hard-looking  personage  might  make  an 
invaluable  house-cleaner  or  cook  when  we 
arrived  at  our  Kafir  home,  while  she  could 
not  hurt  the  little  one  en  voyage^  as  he  would 
be  under  my  own  eye  night  and  day. 

So  I  admitted  her  into  the  room,  where  she 


Interview  with  yohanna  Gog, 


proceeded  to  make  herself  at  home  by  in- 
stantly seating  herself  upon  an  ottoman, 
which,  happening  to  be  lower  than  the  chairs 
her  ladyship  was  accustomed  to  rest  her  fair 
weight  upon,  drew  fi'om  her  a  smothered  ex- 
clamation which  amused  me  immensely.  She 
then  took  off  a  pair  of  black  kid  gloves — (gen- 
tleman's size)  with  which  she  wiped  her  face — 
said  the  heat  made  her  "quite  faint,"  and  com- 
menced fanning  herself  with  the  before-men- 
tioned gloves,  which  seemed  capable  of 
making  themselves  useful  in  any  capacity  ! 

I  thought  the  owner  of  such  gloves  might 
prove  a  treasure;  and  as  closer  inspection 
satisfied  me  that  she  was  enormously  strong, 
and  had  a  clever  face,  I  decided  to  humour 
her  a  little  and  not  take  offence  at  her  colonial 
airs. 

She  then  informed  me  that  a  lady-friend  of 
hers  had  told  her  that  an  English  person, 
named  Mrs.  Prichard,  wanted  a  nurse  to  go 
to  the  fields. 

"  That's  the  woman  for  me,  says  old  Jo- 
hanna" (I  merely  quote),  "  so  I  got  my  sister 
to  drive  me  out  in  the  cart,  and  thought  I 


8         Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

would  come  and  see  how  I  liked  you, 
mum  ! " 

This  was  rather  reversing  the  usual  order 
of  things ;  but  as  one  knows  the  very  stars 
are  upside  down  in  South  Africa,  I  was  not 
much  surprised,  and  I  rather  enjoyed  the 
idea  of  trying  to  tame  this  quaint  specimen, 
and  converting  her  into  a  respectable  ser- 
vant. I  told  her  that  we  were  not  bound  for 
the  Fields,  but  for  the  Transkei — that  is 
to  say,  Kafirland  beyond  the  frontier,  and 
not  in  the  colony  at  all. 

"  Shall  you  go  in  the  post-cart  ? "  she 
inquired. 

"  No !  Partly  by  sea,  in  a  comfortable 
steamer ;  then  by  train ;  and,  finally,  in  the 
wagon  which  Government  has  placed  at  my 
husband's  disposal." 

*'  Oh,  that's  first-rate,"  she  replied. 

She  then  favoured  me  with  a  graphic 
description  of  the  miseries  of  the  post-cart, 
and  of  the  amusing  way  in  which  passengers 
converted  themselves  into  portmanteaux,  by 
wearing  the  greatest  quantity  of  apparel  they 
could  possibly  contrive  to  put  on,  in  order  to 


A  Souvenir  of  yamaica. 


baffle  the  regulations  as  to  amount  of  luggage 
permitted  ! 

My  husband's  entrance  fortunately  put  a 
stop  to  this  harangue,  which  threatened  to 
branch  off  into  a  family  history  of  her  various 
relatives ;  charming  people,  no  doubt,  but 
not  quite  relevant  to  the  subject  in  hand ! 

Edward  promptly  recalled  her  to  the 
practical  question  of  wages,  when  she,  as 
promptly,  demanded  twelve  pounds  a  month  ! 
(modest)  but  naively  hinted  that  "  she  would 
come  for  much  less  ! " 

This  reminded  us  of  a  chicken  offered  us 
for  sale  when  we  were  living  in  the  hills  in 
Jamaica.  "  The  man  wants  a  shilling  for  it, 
my  sweet  missis,  but  will  take  a  sixpanse !" 

But  is  it  not  what  we  all  have  to  do  in 
this  world,  more  or  less  ?  Do  we  not  begin 
life  wanting — not  shillings,  but  great  doub- 
loons ?  and  do  not  some  of  us  learn  to  be 
content  with  our  sixpence,  and  even  to 
begin  to  fancy  it  is  a  lucky  one  after  all  ? 

We  finally  agreed  upon  three  pounds  a 
month,  on  condition  that  she  would  be  willing 
to  adapt  herself  to  circumstances,  and  ready 


lo       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

to  exchange  her  projected  position  as  nurse 
for  that  of  housekeeper,  if  I  did  not  succeed 
in  getting  another  white  servant  to  accom- 
pany us ;  and  I  dismissed  her  with  the  feel- 
ing that  I  had  become  possessed  of  an  article 
likely  to  prove  of  invaluable  service  to  me, 
but  which  would  give  me  some  trouble  in 
controlling  and  subduing. 

Succeeding  events  will  determine  whether 
this  opinion  was  correct. 


CHAPTER  IT. 

Departure  for  the  Transkei — Arrival  at  the  Docks — Mrs. 
Gog's  Sister — Bad  Weather — Port  Elizabeth. 

Such  was  the  nurse  wliom  we  now  found 
awaiting  our  arrival  at  the  docks,  watching 
a  group  of  Malays,  whose  gay  attire  looked 
bright  and  pleasant,  and  who  would  have 
made  a  more  definite  picture  on  my  mind 
had  it  not  been  preoccupied  by  the  bustle  of 
going  on  board,  and  still  more  by  the  know- 
ledge that  in  a  few  moments  my  invalid  child 
would  have  to  leave  his  faithful,  loving  Kitty, 
for  the  untried  attendance  of  this  hard  indi- 
vidual, who  was  accompanied  by  a  sister,  even 
more  hard-looking  than  herself. 

But  even  iron  can  melt  —  under  warm 
influences ;  and  I  soon  found  both  sisters  in 
a  melting  mood  at  the  prospect  of  parting. 
Poor  Kitty,  too,  had  been  a  perfect  Niobe 


1 2       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

from  the  time  we  left  Wjnberg,  and  my  own 
heart  was  rather  heavy,  though  it  did  not 
indulge  in  the  luxury  of  tears. 

I  flew  to  the  cabin,  made  friends  with  the 
stewardess,  and  began  trying  to  make 
things  comfortable  before  Kitty  left,  as  I 
felt  sure  baby  would  not  take  to  his  new 
nurse. 

While  engaged  in  this  occupation,  I  was 
both  touched  and  amused  by  Mrs.  Grog's 
sister  reappearing,  and  in  pathetic  accents 
imploring  me  to  take  care  of  her  sister  ! — the 
said  sister  looking  fully  capable  of  taking 
care,  not  only  of  herself,  but  of  our  entire 
party  into  the  bargain.  However,  I  appre- 
ciated the  feeling,  and  promised  to  do  my 
best,  little  guessing  how  diilicult  it  would  be 
to  keep  my  word. 

The  next  day  and  a  half  were  rather  mise- 
rable, the  south-easter  continuing  to  blow  so 
violently  that  we  did  not  leave  the  dock  until 
the  afternoon  of  the  following  day.  My  baby, 
too,  was  almost  frantic  at  losing  his  nurse, 
while,  to  increase  my  distress  the  ladies 
around  would  politely  remark,  "  That  child 


A  Sea-view  of  Port  Elizabeth,  1 3 

has  got  water  on  the  brain,"  '*  K  he  were  my 
child,"  &c.  &c. 

At  last  the  battle  was  over,  and  the  poor 
darling  went  submissively  to  Johanna  Gog, 
who  was  quite  flattered  when  he  transferred 
his  allegiance  to  her  ! 

All  this  time  we  had  "  weather,"  and  did  not 
arrive  at  Port  Elizabeth  until  the  evening  of 
the  9th,  too  late  for  passengers  to  go  on  shore. 
Next  day  there  was  a  general  exodus,  and  we 
now  had  the  "  European  "  almost  to  ourselves. 
We  now  settled  down  and  brightened  up  a 
little,  being  fortunate  enough  to  gain  posses- 
sion of  an  additional  cabin. 

We  remained  at  Algoa  Bay  (Port  Elizabeth), 
for  five  days,  but  did  not  care  to  go  ashore, 
as  the  prospect  from  the  ship  was  anything 
but  tempting.  We  looked  upon  a  dreary 
stretch  of  sand,  backed  towards  the  centre  by 
something  which  seemed  to  have  started  in 
life  with  the  intention  of  becoming  a  hill,  but 
had  collapsed  in  the  effort,  discouraged  by 
the  absence  of  trees  or  even  bushes  to  sup- 
port it. 

In  front  of  this  low  bank  a  townful  of  ex- 


1 4       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

pensive-looking  but  painfully  new  and  un- 
liomelike  houses  had  arranged  themselves  very 
tidily  and  respectably ;  here  and  there  were 
churches  and  other  buildings  of  a  public 
nature,  but  no  trees,  no  nothing,  to  relieve  the 
eye  or  interest  the  mind. 

To  the  right,  a  railway  train  looking  like  a 
toy,  would  suddenly  appear  and  puff  away  con- 
ceitedly to  apparently  nowhere. — I  thanked 
kind  fate  for  not  casting  our  lot  here.  Better 
far  Kafir  huts  and  mountain  scenery  than  this 
sort  of  thing !  However,  I  was  told  that  the 
inhabitants  were  most  energetic  and  pros- 
perous ;  that  beyond  the  barrier  of  sand  they 
had  actually  made  a  green  park  or  garden,  for 
which  the  very  earth  employed  had  to  be 
brought  from  a  distance ;  and  I  gave  them  my 
good  wishes,  though  thankful  not  to  be  com- 
pelled to  share  the  task. 

Only  one  thing  occurred  to  me,  as  I  re- 
called the  lovely  harbours  of  the  West  Indies, 
the  gorgeous  tints,  splendid  scenery,  and 
luxuriant  vegetation  of  the  Tropics — is  it 
absolutely  necessary  that  man  should  spend 
so  much  money  and  toil  upon  ugly  places, 


A  Plea  for  the  Tropics.  15 

while  at  a  fraction  of  expense  and  fatigue 
lie  could  convert  the  loveliest  spots  on  earth 
into  paradises  almost  fit  for  fairies  to  live  in  ? 
Will  no  one  say  a  kind  word  for  the 
Tropics  ? 


1 6       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Port  Alfred — New  Life-boat — The  Basket-trick — Landing 
at  East  London — Chaos — Dowell's  Hotel — Customs 
Quay — Gog  and  Magog. 

Though  we  did  not  admire  Algoa  Bay,  we 
spent  a  very  pleasant  time  there ;  and  should 
not  have  murmured  had  our  stay  been  even 
longer.  The  only  passengers  besides  our- 
selves were  two  ladies,  on  their  way  to 
mission  stations  in  the  Transkei.  One  was  a 
bonnie  Highland  lassie,  whose  demure  de- 
meanour and  grave  air  were  a  quaint  con- 
trast to  her  glowing  cheeks  and  bright  eyes. 
I  little  guessed  we  should  ever  meet  again, 
and  still  less  under  what  tragical  circum- 
stances. It  may  have  occurred  to  me  that 
she  might  some  day  be  my  guest,  but  I  little 
dreamt  how  soon  I  should  be  a  suppliant  to 
her  for  shelter. 


Port  Alfred  and  East  London.  1 7 

On  the  14th  July  we  left  Port  Elizabeth 
at  4  a.m.,  arriving  at  the  Kowie  (Port  Alfred) 
at  daybreak.  I  remember  a  chilly  shore,  with 
some  trees  and  green  grass;  also  a  misty 
rain,  through  which  I  faintly  perceived  some 
houses ;  but  altogether  it  was  a  dull  day,  and 
we  were  glad  enough  to  hear  the  dear  old 
screw  at  work  again,  and  know  we  were 
really  off. 

This  day  was  charmingly  fresh  and  fair ; 
and  after  finishing  the  small  amount  of 
packing  I  had  to  do,  I  enjoyed  my  Sunday 
morning  admiring  the  coast,  which  for  the 
first  time  began  to  look  picturesque.  As  we 
neared  East  London  my  interest  increased, 
as  my  husband  had  spent  some  time  there, 
and  he  soon  began  to  point  out  to  me  the 
principal  features  of  the  scene. 

The  Buffalo  River  here  flows  into  the  sea, 
and  its  beauty  is  greatly  enhanced  by  the 
richly- wooded  banks  (almost  worthy  of  being 
called  hills)  which  rise  on  either  side.  The 
town  has  also  grown  on  either  bank  of  the 
river :  East  London,  the  port  and  commercial 
portion,    being   on   the    south;     while   Pan- 

■C 


h 


1 8       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

mure,  which  contains  the  private  residences 
of  the  merchants,  &c.,  lies  on  the  north 
bank. 

We  spent  some  hours  enjoying  the  calm, 
fresh  beauty  of  the  scene,  which  looked  so 
good  and  pretty,  like  a  nice  little  child  with 
her  Sunday  dress  on  ;  and  I  think  I  made  the 
most  of  my  enjoyment,  because  I  knew  a 
dangerous  "  bar "  separated  us  from  the 
shore,  which  had  to  be  crossed  with  in- 
variable discomfort  and  occasional  peril,  so 
(reversing  the  nursery  custom)  I  took  the  jam 
first,  making  up  my  mind  to  shut  my  eyes  to 
the  pill  which  was  to  follow  !  In  the  end,  it 
was  all  jam !  for,  through  a  piece  of  good 
fortune  and  Captain  Ker's  courtesy,  we 
accomplished  our  landing  most  comfortably, 
and  the  bit  in  the  journey  to  Kafirland  which 
I  most  dreaded  proved  one  of  the  pleasantest 
and  easiest  things  in  the  entire  route. 

The  "  European  "  had  brought  a  new  life- 
boat from  England,  to  be  used  at  East 
London,  and  during  the  afternoon  the  people 
in  charge  of  the  old  one  came  out  to  see  their 
new  pet,  and  on  their  return  to  the  port  they 


Mrs.  Gogs  Fli7'tations,  19 

landed  some  second-class  passengers  from  tlie 
*'  European." 

We  expected  to  have  to  join  this  contin- 
gent, and  were  prepared  to  do  so  contentedly, 
as  that  alternative  was  far  preferable  to  the 
dreaded  surf-boats  of  which  I  had  heard  so 
much.  But  while  looking  a  little  anxiously  at 
the  crowd,  Captain  Ker  most  kindly  proposed 
our  remaining  until  the  following  morning, 
when  we  could  make  a  comfortable  cruise  in 
the  new  life-boat. 

I  need  scarcely  say  we  accepted  this  kind 
suggestion,  and  by  seven  o'clock  on  Monday 
morning  I  was  pretending  to  eat  the  sand- 
wiches our  good  old  stewardess  had  thought- 
fully prepared  for  us. 

While  saying  good-bye  to  the  old  lady, 
who  had  quite  won  our  hearts  by  her  good- 
temper,  Mrs.  Gog  was  taking  leave  of  several 
stewards  on  her  own  account !  She  had 
flirted  right  and  left  the  entire  voyage,  and 
exhibited  the  happiest  talent  for  turning  her 
flirtations  to  good  account,  and  combining 
sentiment  with  substantial  comfort  in  the 
most  practical  manner !  She  now  went  on 
c  2 


20       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

deck  with  tlie  children,  and,  by  the  time  I 
arrived  there,  I  was  just  in  time  to  see  her 
merry  face  laughing  out  of  the  basket  (which 
also  contained  my  two  children),  all  over  the 
side,  and  half-way  down  into  the  lifeboat. 

I  meant  the  children  to  have  gone  with 
me,  and  must  confess  to  one  thrill  of  terror 
while  they  were  perched  up  in  the  air ;  but 
soon  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  them 
scramble  out  into  the  boat,  where  kindly 
sailor-hands  welcomed  and  stowed  them 
away  safely.  My  turn  came  next,  after 
which  my  husband  descended,  and  was  soon 
arranging  us  all  in  our  places,  reserving 
seats  for  the  two  "  missionary  "  ladies  who 
were  to  accompany  us, 

I  shall  never  forget  their  look  of  horror  at 
the  whole  of  this  basket-trick  performance, 
and  remember  spending  the  next  few  minutes 
in  trying  to  overcome  their  confusion,  by 
making  them  as  comfortable  as  circumstances 
would  permit.  This  accomplished,  we  bowed 
our  adieux  to  kind  Captain  Ker,  and  after  a 
charming  half -hour  on  the  water  in  the  deli- 
cious morning  air,  were  soon  over  the  dreaded 


East  London  in  iZ*]*].  21 

bar  (wMch.  behaved  most  politely  to  us), 
landed  in  the  eastern  provinces,  and  looking 
most  eagerly  at  an  eastern  province  town  in  a 
very  rudimentary  state  of  existence. 

It  is  ratlier  a  task  to  convey  any  distinct 
picture  of  what  East  London  tben  was,  to 
European  readers,  for  I  have  seen  nothing  in 
England  or  on  the  continent  to  which  I  could 
possibly  compare  it.  My  own  feeling,  as  I 
looked  about  me  on  landing,  was,  that  I  had 
now  realized  my  idea  of  the  sort  of  town 
that  would  spring  up  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  gold-diggings. 

At  that  time  the  houses  were  nearly  all 
made  of  corrugated  iron,  and  looked  more 
like  over-grown  packing-cases  than  anything 
else.  I  could  not  trace  any  definite  line  of 
streets ;  and  though  the  town  did  not  look 
very  tumble-down,  it  did  decidedly  look  very 
tumble-up ! 

Little  heaps  of  gravel,  or  something  of 
that  kind ;  confusion  and  chaos  confronted  us 
everywhere.  Here  we  would  meet  a  bullock- 
wagon  on  its  way  up-country ;  there  a  group 
of  British  officers  chatting  together.     Per- 


2  2       Friends  and  Foes  in.  the  Transkei. 

liaps  the  next  object  encountered  would 
be  some  Africander  dame,  very  mucli  over- 
dressed, and  looking  exactly  like  a  fashion- 
plate  painted  in  wrong  colours  !  After  which 
one's  eyes  would  be  refreshed  by  the  de- 
lightful vision  of  an  English  lady  (probably 
the  wife  of  some  officer),  in  simple,  becoming 
morning  attire,  advancing  to  meet  her  hus- 
band at  the  garden-gate,  to  receive  the 
precious  packet  letters  from  home  ! 

While  mentally  photographing  these  various 
"arrangements,"  we  arrived  at Dowell's Hotel, 
where  we  found  a  comfortable  breakfast 
awaiting  us,  which  we  much  appreciated  after 
our  morning  al  fresco. 

After  breakfast  Edward  and  I  started 
for  the  shore — I  suppose  it  could  not  be 
called  a  dock — the  Customs  Quay,  in  search 
of  our  luggage,  which  had  to  follow  in 
the  lovely  surf-boats  I  have  recently  men- 
tioned. 

Here  we  found  ourselves  in  the  midst  of  a 
bustling  scene,  the  most  numerous  actors  in 
which  were  Kafirs,  whom  I  now  saw  for 
the  first  time.     They  were  employed  in  un- 


"  On  Guard."  23 


loading  the  boats,  and  carrying  off  tlie  cargo 
in  different  directions. 

Edward  now  placed  me  on  guard,  while  he 
collected  our  luggage,  and  I  found  my 
duties  rather  onerous.  The  Kafirs  would 
keep  seizing  my  most  treasured  possessions, 
and  I  kad  to  look  very  fierce  to  protect 
them.  A  Customs'  officer  now  came  to  my 
assistance,  and  between  us  we  managed  to 
maintain  my  rights,  until  Edward  came  to 
tell  me  that  no  more  luggage  could  be  pro- 
cured that  day,  so  we  might  as  well  return  to 
the  hotel. 

On  our  way,  Edward  caught  sight  of  an  im- 
mensely tall,  red-haired,  and  gentle-looking 
individual  in  the  uniform  of  a  private  in  the 
frontier  armed  and  mounted  police  (now 
called  Cape  Mounted  Rifles),  who,  on  re- 
cognizing Edward,  saluted,  and  crossed  the 
road  for  instructions. 

In  order  to  prevent  mystification,  I  think 
it  best  to  explain  that  my  husband  is  a  civil 
engineer  in  the  Government  service,  and  that 
his  appointment  (at  that  time)  was  that  of 
Inspector   of    Roads    for    the    Transkei — a 


24       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

large  district  about  a  hundred  miles  in 
length  (to  tlie  south  of  Natal,  from  which 
it  is  only  separated  by  a  bit  of  No  Man's 
Land),  bounded  on  the  south  by  the  great 
Kei  river,  and  on  the  north  by  the  Umtata ; 
and  it  is  not  for  a  moment  to  be  con- 
founded with  the  Transvaal,  which  is  an 
inland  territory  many,  many  hundred  miles 
away. 

At  the  time  my  husband  entered  upon  his 
duties,  this  Transkei  district  was  in  a  most 
unsettled  state ;  and  as  he  was  engaged  in 
boundary  work  between  hostile  tribes.  Govern- 
ment thought  it  expedient  to  provide  him  with 
an  escort  of  mounted  police. 

The  person  now  encountered  was  a  mem- 
ber of  this  escort,  who  acted  as  orderly  to 
Edward,  and  who  had  now  come  down  from 
the  frontier  in  charge  of  the  bullock-wagon, 
in  which  we  proposed  to  journey  to  Kafir- 
land.  I  shall  call  him  Magog,  the  name  I 
could  not  resist  applying  to  him  when  I 
saw  his  gigantic,  but  feeble-looking  frame, 
leaning  against  one  side  of  the  door  of 
our    hotel,     while    Mrs.    Gog,     our    nurse, 


Our  Supporters !  25 


supported  herself  agaiDst  the  opposite  side, 
my  pretty  baby  laughing  in  her  arms.  Gog 
and  Magog,  of  course  !  Now  we  ought  to 
get  on  famously  ! 


26       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Invitations — Mrs.  Gog's  Musical  Box — The  Wagon — A 
South  African  Omnibus — The  Pontoon — Eiver-scenery 
— The  Railway-station — A  supposed  Martinet. 

Magog  now  came  forward  to  deliver  his 
despatches,  two  of  which  proved  to  be  kind 
invitations,  containing  friendly  offers  of  hos- 
pitality during  our  somewhat  difficult  journey 
up-country. 

One  of  these  came  from  Commandant  Bow- 
ker  (of  the  Frontier  Armed  and  Mounted 
Police),  who  is  so  renowned  throughout  the 
colony  for  his  generous  hospitality  and  dis- 
tinguished services. 

The  other  invitation  was  a  most  friendly 
one  from  Mr.  Cumming,  then  Resident  Ma- 
gistrate at  Idutywa  Reserve  (our  destination 
in  the  Transkei),  begging  us  to  consider  his 
house  our  home  on  our   arrival,  and  to  re- 


Change  of  Rotite.  27 


main  there  until  we  had  arranged  the  furni- 
ture of  our  own  future  home,  and  made  every- 
thing comfortable  for  the  children. 

These  invitations  rendered  a  slight  change 
of  plan  necessary.  Magog  had  brought  down 
the  wagon  to  East  London,  as  we  originally 
intended  to  begin  our  gipsy- journey  there. 
As,  however,  my  husband  wished  to  see  Mr. 
Bowker,  to  make  fresh  arrangements  about 
his  escort,  we  were  glad  to  alter  the  route, 
and  get  a  chance  of  accomplishing  some  por- 
tion of  the  journey  by  rail.  My  husband, 
therefore,  decided  to  send  Magog  off  again 
with  the  wagon  and  our  heavy  luggage,  under 
instructions  to  meet  us  at  King  William's 
Town,  on  the  common  adjoining  the  property 
of  the  good  Commandant. 

This  satisfactorily  settled,  the  rest  of  the 
day  was  spent  in  rearranging  the  contents 
of  our  boxes  in  such  a  way  as  to  admit  of 
parting  with  much  of  our  luggage  with- 
out inconvenience,  and  in  vain  endeavours  to 
convince  Mrs.  Gog  that  a  certain  musical-box, 
possessed  by  that  lady,  was  not  an  indispen- 
sable necessary  of  our  existence ;  and  that, 


28       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

much  as  we  appreciated  the  dulcet  strains 
which  proceeded  from  this  pretty  little  por- 
table piano,  we  actually  intended  to  dispense 
with  its  services  during  the  next  three  or 
four  days. 

This  was  the  first,  but  by  no  means  the 
last  occasion,  on  which  that  exasperating 
little  musical-box  became  an  instrument  of 
torture  to  us.  It  was  always  appearing  in 
some  form  or  other — emerging  from  band- 
boxes, tumbling  out  of  baskets  on  to  the  poor 
children's  toes,  banging  against  the  back  of 
one's  head  when  jolting  into  holes  during 
our  wagon- journey,  and  appearing  to  pos- 
sess the  most  wonderful  faculty  for  know- 
ing when  and  where  it  was  not  wanted,  and 
always  contriving  to  appear  at  that  particu- 
lar moment. 

"We  did  our  best  to  lose  it ;  but  its  fair 
owner  looked  too  well  after  its  interests  ever 
to  give  us  even  the  chance  of  forgetting  it ; 
until  we  almost  fancied  her  ulster  must  be  a 
disguise,  and  that  we  had  engaged  the  com- 
panionship, for  six  months,  of  the  "  fine  lady 
upon    a   Avhite  horse,"    who    so  provokingly 


Mrs.  Gog's  Musical- Box.  29 

insists  upon  having  "  music  wherever  she 
goes." 

However,  Mrs.  Gog  proved  a  wise  woman 
after  all ;  for  in  our  Kafir  home  we  found  the 
cheery  little  musical  box  a  perfect  treasure  ; 
and  on  rainy  days  the  children  and  junior 
servants  were  often  to  be  found  gathered 
round  good  Mrs.  Gog,  who  made  her  instru- 
ment perform  for  their  gratification  with 
great  pride,  evidently  thinking  my  own  piano- 
playing  very  inferior  to  her  music,  and  taking 
all  the  credit  of  the  melody  to  herself. 

But  I  must  not  too  far  anticipate  our  future 
experiences,  for  I  had  not  yet  even  seen  the 
wagon,  which,  to  me,  formed  the  link  and 
barrier  in  one,  between  civilization  and  my 
untried  life  beyond  the  frontier. 

However,  that  evening  my  husband  and  I 
strolled  out  for  a  little  fresh  air ;  and  on  a 
piece  of  waste  land,  which  had  ceased  to  be 
country,  and  not  yet  begun  to  be  town,  we 
found  the  Government  wagon,  with  the  oxen 
feeding  around. 

I  can  hardly  do  justice  to  the  mysterious 
feeling  of  interest  with  which  I  regarded  this 


3o       FHends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

very  prosaic  equipage — to  my  English  eyes 
so  uncouth,  so  uncomfortable,  so  utterly  unfit 
for  little  tender  children  to  travel  in.  It 
seemed  like  a  great  elephant  that  had  come 
to  take  me  away  to  a  rough  future,  which  I 
dreaded  unspeakably,  and  yet  was  resolved 
to  face.  Still,  in  the  clear  star-light,  with 
the  bracing  air  blowing  cool  and  fresh  about 
my  face,  I  fancied  it  looked  kindly  upon  me ; 
and,  refreshed  and  strengthened,  I  began 
already  to  face  the  monster  more  cheerfully, 
and  even  to  think  of  it  in  a  friendly  light. 

Next  morning  the  "  Monster  "  started  early 
for  King  William's  Town,  under  the  charge  of 
Magog ;  and  after  a  hasty  luncheon,  the  rest 
of  our  party  followed  in  an  omnibus  which 
came  daily  to  convey  passengers  to  the  rail- 
way-station. 

This  omnibus  was  a  very  airy  equipage, 
seeming  to  consist  of  a  roof,  no  sides,  and — 
some  wheels.  It  was  cool  and  shady  and 
fairly  clean,  and  I  was  so  glad  to  get  out  into 
the  fresh  air,  that  I  was  not  disposed  to 
quarrel  with  anything;  though  the  absence 
of  springs,  the  rapid  motion  and  the  very  bad 


A  Charming  Winter  Afternoon.        31 

roads,  full  of  holes  and  ruts,  made  our  drive 
not  too  charming. 

However,  there  was  movement  and  change 
of  scene,  which  always  have  an  unspeakable 
attraction  for  me ;  and  when  we  arrived  at  the 
banks  of  the  Buffalo  River,  I  was  quite 
charmed  with  the  scenery.  Most  delightful 
hills,  just  high  enough  to  be  enjoyable  ; 
glorious  trees,  rich  vegetation,  with  bright 
sunshine  and  a  clear  sky  to  throw  a  golden 
glamour  over  the  whole,  formed  a  fairy-hke 
picture  which  remains  in  my  mind  after  the 
details  have  passed  away  ;  and  the  silver 
shimmer  of  the  river  still  shines  in  my  recol- 
lection as  a  sunny  souvenir  of  that  brilliant 
winter  afternoon.  Winter  !  with  such  sun- 
shine, and  such  scenery,  and  such  foliage  ! 
Yes;  even  then  I  was  clad  in  velvet  and 
fur,  not  one  whit  oppressive  in  the  fresh  in- 
vigorating breeze,  and  soon — as  shades  of 
evening  darkened — should  I  be  glad  to  add 
still  warmer  wraps  to  my  already  winter 
clothing,  and  wonder  wistfully  if  a  cheery 
English  fire  would  greet  our  arrival. 

And  now  we  arrive  at  the  pontoon  which 


32       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

is  to  convey  us  across  the  river  to  Panmure, 
which  rejoices  in  the  possession  of  the  rail- 
way-station. 

I  had  never  before  seen  a  pontoon,  and  was 
all  eyes  and  ears  for  what  was  to  come  next. 
We  now  descended  a  steep  bank,  and  then 
found  ourselves,  omnibus  and  all,  upon  a 
sort  of  flooring,  with  a  rope  on  each  side. 

"  Where  is  the  pontoon  ?  "  I  asked.  "  You 
are  on  it  at  the  present  moment,"  replied  my 
husband,  and  then  the  truth  began  to  dawn 
upon  me  that  we  were  indeed  moving, 
though  noiselessly,  across  the  water  ! 

The  effect  was  most  delicious,  and  it 
hushed  every  voice  until  we  gained  the  op- 
posite bank.^ 

It  was  very  delightful,  and  I  heartily  wished 
the  rest  of  our  journey  up-country  could  be 
accomplished  in  the  same  luxurious  manner. 

'  If  any  lady  readers  should  wish  for  a  further  de- 
scription of  a  pontoon,  I  refer  them  to  their  friends  in 
the  Royal  Engineers,  who  will  doubtless  be  happy  to  1tell 
them  all  about  it.  I  do  not  feel  equal  to  the  task  myself, 
as  I  belong  to  the  dark  ages  before  school  boards  existed, 
and  merely  attempt  to  describe  what  I  saw,  as  it  appeared 
to  me. 


A  Travelling  Acquaintance.  'li'h 

It  was  too  nice  to  last  long ;  and  just  as  I 
had  settled  down  to  enjoy  it  comfortably,  a 
rude  sliock  scrambled  us  up  the  opposite 
bank,  and  a  rapid  drive  through  the  ugly 
environs  of  a  railway-station  soon  deposited 
us  safely  at  the  door. 

We  took  our  places  in  the  train,  and  were 
just  expressing  our  gratification  at  having  a 
carriage  to  ourselves,  when  a  gentleman  of 
unmistakeable  military  bearing,  and  looking 
the  personification  of  luxurious  bachelorhood, 
quietly  opened  the  door  and  took  possession 
of  a  seat  by  the  window. 

I  gave  one  look  at  nurse,  who  was  in  con- 
vulsions at  the  predicament ;  shot  a  despair- 
ing glance  at  baby's  bottle,  and  a  very 
anxious  one  at  my  husband, — who  reassured 
me  by  looking  quite  happy. 

We  had  hardly  started  before  the  new 
arrival  made  some  courteous  remark,  to  which 
my  husband  replied  by  addressing  him  as 
Captain  Grant,  and  I  soon  found  they  were 
not  altogether  strangers. 

A  year  after,  on  my  journey  down  again ; 
I   had   the   pleasure    of    meeting   the   very 


34       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

charming  wife  of  Captain  Grant,  and  of 
being  introduced  by  her  to  their  handsome 
circle  of  olive-branches.  I  confided  to  her 
my  terror  of  the  supposed  bachelor,  and 
we  had  a  ladies'  laugh  over  my  very  great 
mistake. 

After  our  new  acquaintance  had  been  pre- 
sented to  me,  I  was  glad  to  give  myself  up  to 
quiet  enjoyment  of  the  scenery,  undisturbed 
by  the  long  Transkei  talk  into  which  Captain 
Grant  and  my  husband  had  drifted,  and 
which  chiefly  concerned  topics  of  which  I 
knew  nothing. 

I  was  very  tired,  and  the  luxurious  comfort 
and  cleanliness  of  the  well-cushioned  railway 
carriage  (at  that  time  quite  new),  were  most 
thoroughly  appreciated  in  my  quiet  corner. 
The  murmur  of  the  gentlemen's  voices  was 
rapidly  lulliDg  me  into  dreamy  forgetfulness  of 
everything  around,  when  a  most  gorgeously- 
illuminated  picture  of  richly-wooded  moun- 
tain s<;enery  arrested  my  attention,  and  effec- 
tually banished  all  wish  for  sleep. 

"  What  is  this  ?  Where  are  we  ?  "  I  de- 
manded of  my  husband,  who,  knowing  my 


Charming  Scenery.  35 

love  and  admiration  for  beautiful  hills  and 
foliage,  had  reserved  this  as  a  pleasant  sur- 
prise, in  order  to  heighten  the  effect. 

From  this  time  until  we  reached  Blaney, 
the  journey  was  one  long  enpij  (if  I  may 
be  allowed  to  coin  a  word),  and  I  revelled 
in  a  perfect  panorama  of  lovely  pictures, 
each  seeming  more  beautiful  than  the  last, 
until  the  gem  of  all — the  enchanting  peep 
of  the  Nahoun — left  me  almost  sated  with 
loveliness,  and  willing  to  isolate  (and 
thereby  preserve)  the  remembrance  of  all 
this  ethereal  enchantment,  by  turning  to 
other  attractions  and  charms  of  our 
route. 

Not  the  least  of  these  consisted  in  the  fact 
that  my  husband  was  interested  in  every  inch 
of  ground  along  the  line.  (I  am  going  to  talk 
"  shop,"  so  skip,  fair  readers,  a  little  further 
on.)  As  I  think  I  mentioned  before,-  my  hus- 
band had  been  detained  for  a  short  time  the 
previous  year  at  East  London,  as  Government 
did  not  think  it  advisable  to  make  surveys 
beyond  the  frontier  just  then,  and  while 
pending  permission  to  proceed,  he  had  been 
D  2 


36       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

temporarily  engaged  in  connexion  with  tlie 
railway. 

He  had  received  much  kindness  from  his 
brother  engineers,  of  whom  he  spoke  quite 
affectionately ;  and  now  almost  every  station, 
curve  and  gradient,  recalled  some  agreeable 
or  amusing  incident,  and  of  course  every 
episode  had  its  special  interest  for  me.  I 
was  also  charmed  with  the  comfort  of  every- 
thing ;  the  carriages  were  not  only  furnished 
with  springs,  but  were  also  provided  with 
indiarubber  blocks,  and  the  easy  swing  was 
delightful. 


CHAPTER  Y. 

Fort  Jackson — Kafir  Huts  and  Kafir  Kraals — Visions  of 
Mephistopheles — Arrival  at  King  William's  Town. 

We  soon  arrived  at  a  most  charming  little 
station  called  Fort  Jackson,  where  we  had  a 
nice  interval  for  refreshment. 

There  was  no  fort,  apparently,  and — no 
Jackson  ! — not  even  a  Stone-wall ! 

(Please  do  not  hold  me  responsible  for  this 
very  bad  joke.  I  am  writing  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  delicious  cup  of  tea  I  enjoyed 
there,  and  mean  no  disrespect  for  America ;  a 
country  in  which  I  have  all  my  life  taken  the 
deepest  interest,  and  which  I  hope  some  day 
to  see.) 

Neither  do  I  wish  to  convey  the  smallest 
reflection  upon  Fort  Jackson.  The  refresh- 
ment-stall was  deliciously  clean  and  well  sup- 
plied, and  I  only  wish  one  ever  had  a  chance 


38       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

of  getting  at  an  English  country  station  as 
tempting  a  cup  of  tea  as  I  enjoyed  here  in  the 
wilds  of  Kaffraria. 

But  on  leaving  the  little  station  all  thought 
of  creature-comforts  was  suspended,  in  the 
eager  curiosity  with  which  I  was  now  recon- 
noitring the  country,  for  the  first  glimpse  of 
Kafir  huts  and  Kafir  kraals  ! 

I  daresay  I  might  have  seen  them  before ; 
but  during  the  earlier  stage  of  the  journey  my 
whole  attention  bad  been  so  absorbed  by  the 
grander  features  of  the  scenery  that  I  had 
not  time  for  details  as  we  whirled  rapidly 
along.  Besides,  the  mud  huts  and  dusky 
people,  in  their  brown  blankets,  are  most 
difl&cult  to  discern  in  a  general  survey, 
as  they  harmonize  wonderfully  with  the 
hue  of  the  undulating  grass-land,  and  even 
a  practised  eye  may  easily  fail  to  perceive 
them. 

Troops  accustomed  to  foes  arrayed  in  all 
the  brilliant  colouring  of  European  uniforms 
may  well  be  puzzled  at  first  by  the  weird 
warriors  who  spring  from  an  apparently  un- 
occupied   ground,     and    whose    silent    and 


Travellers  Stories.  39, 

stealthy  steps  would  tax  the  ear  of  a  Red 
Indian  to  hear. 

At  last  my  patience  was  rewarded  by  the 
appearance  of  several  beehive-shaped  mud 
huts,  arranged  in  a  circle ;  within  hailing  dis- 
tance of  another  kraal  (village)  of  a  similar 
nature,  which  surmounted  the  crest  of  a 
neighbouring  hill. 

'*  You  don't  mean  to  say  human  beings 
really  live  in  those  fearful-looking  things  ?  " 
I  exclaimed. 

"Yes,  indeed,"  returned  my  husband,  "  and 
very  comfortably  too  !  They  have  a  fire  made 
in  the  centre  of  the  floor,  in  a  depression  of 
the  ground,  and  are  all  as  smoky  and  happy 
as  possible.  At  night  they  curl  themselves 
up  in  their  blankets  with  their  toes  towards 
the  fire,  and  if  a  baby  or  two  happen  to  roll 
in  and  get  burnt,  it  does  not  seriously  affect 
their  equanimity." 

"Ah,  I  see  you  are  an  old  traveller,"  I 
laughed  ;  "  but  you  shall  inflict  no  more  hor- 
rors upon  me."  And  from  that  time  I  kept 
my  first  impressions  to  myself,  and — thought 
the  more. 


40       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

What  should  I  have  said,  had  any  one  told 
me  that  before  a  year  had  passed  I  should 
spend  sixteen  weeks  under  shelter  so  scanty, 
so  inadequate  as  protection  against  the  ele- 
ments; that  I  should  look  forward  to  the  com- 
pletion of  a  Kafir  hut  as  a  residence,  with  as 
much  eagerness  as  was  ever  displayed  by  a 
cotton  lord  engaged  in  the  absorbing  interest 
of  building  a  magnificent  mansion  for  pos- 
terity ! 

Happily,  I  did  not  know  what  was  in  store 
for  us,  and  enjoyed  my  first  view  of  Kafirland 
with  all  the  zest  of  one  new  to  the  scene. 

"  Now  for  the  Kafirs  !  "  I  thought,  and  a 
few  moments  after  my  curiosity  was  gratified 
by  the  sight  of  some  strange,  sad  figures, 
looking  exactly  as  if  they  were  dressed  in 
terra-cotta,  and  apparently  made  of  the  same 
material ;  sharply  defined  against  a  back- 
ground of  white  tents. 

At  first  sight  it  was  difficult  to  realize  they 
were  beings  of  the  same  nature  with  our- 
selves, endowed  with  immortality  and  capable 
of  infinite  development  into  good;  but  a 
second  thought  reminded  me  that  we  are  all 


Not  so  Black  as  they  re  Painted.  4 1 

ODly  clay  after  all,  and  tliat  I  was  simply 
looking  at  red  clay  instead  of  white. 

A  third  inspection  also  showed  me  that 
they  were  not  so  repulsive-looking  as  I  had 
expected.  I  had  been  told  that  their  clothing 
entirely  consisted  of  red  blankets,  and  that 
they  also  daubed  their  faces  with  red  paint. 

I  had  taken  for  granted  that  the  red  would 
be  scarlet  and  their  own  complexions  ver- 
milion. In  fact,  I  had  conjured  up  a  vague 
vision  of  a  legion  of  Mephistopheles  ! ! 

I  don't  mean  the  nice  Mephistopheles  one 
sees  on  the  stage,  but  that  dreadful  old  thing 
with  horns  and  a  tail,  which  used  to  terrify 
and  yet  fascinate  me  as  a  child,  in  a  Queen 
Anne's  Prayer  Book  at  home. 

This  red  was  brownish-looking,  and  of  a 
rather  agreeable  tone,  which  harmonized  well 
with  the  surrounding  scenery,  and  gave  them 
an  unmistakeable  air  of  being  "  Sons  of  the 
Soil." 

And  now  the  Kafir  group  melts  away,  and 
I  am  looking  at  some  quaintly-dressed  Ger- 
man settlers  who  crowd  into  the  carriage. 
The  lamps  were    lighted,  and  the  children 


42        Friends  and  Foes  in  the  T7'anskei. 

began  to  fidget  and  fret  as  bedtime  ap- 
proached ;  I  must  turn  my  thoughts  from 
nature  outside  the  carriage,  to  tiny,  but  tyran- 
nous, human  nature  within ;  and  I  am  not 
sorry  when  we  arrive  at  King  WiUiam's 
Town. 

We  now  found  to  our  dismay,  that  no  car- 
riage of  any  kind  whatever  was  to  be  hired, 
either  at  the  station  or  in  the  town  ;  and  that 
we  must  depend  entirely  upon  our  own  re- 
sources to  convey  ourselves  and  our  posses- 
sions to  Commandant  Bowker's  house,  which 
was  ever  so  far  away — quite  the  other  side  of 
the  town. 

I  wonder  how  lame  people  manage  ? — Do 
they  never  go  out  ? 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Mrs.  Gog  Comes  to  the  Rescue — Walk  from  the  Hallway 
station — First  impressions  of  King  William's  Town — 
Arrival  at  the  residence  of  Commandant  Bowker — 
Table-talk. 

Mrs.  Gog  now  came  to  the  rescue ;  coolly  col- 
lared a  couple  of  small  boys,  and  insisted 
upon  their  conveying  our  goods  and  chattels, 
ourselves  and  "  bairnies,"  to  the  residence  of 
the  commandant.  We  surrendered  without 
discretion,  for  this  self-constituted  leader  of 
our  little  expedition  soon  distinguished  her- 
self by  losing  her  way  and  getting  us  all  into 
dijBficulties.  So,  thinking  we  had  had  quite 
enough  for  the  present  of  petticoat  govern- 
ment, I  ventured  to  suggest  that  my  hus- 
band was  perfectly  qualified  to  take  the 
reins ;  and  under  his  guidance  we  pro- 
ceeded slowly  but  surely  to  our  destination, 


44       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

Mrs.  Gog  bringing  up  the  rear;  silent,  but 
not  subdued. 

My  husband  was  soon  obliged  to  carry  our 
elder  child,  poor  little  Henry,  who  tried  hard 
to  walk  like  a  man,  and  stumbled  sleepily 
along  until  his  tired  little  toes  tripped  him 
up,  when  he  reluctantly  consented  to  be  car- 
ried like  baby,  on  condition  he  should  be  put 
down  before  we  got  to  the  house,  and  walk 
into  the  garden  by  the  side  of  Mamma. 

Under  these  circumstances  we  all  found 
abundant  occupation,  and  could  not  look 
about  much,  or  form  any  but  the  faintest  idea 
of  the  town. 

We  seemed  to  be  walking  along  the  middle 
of  immensely  wide  roads,  so  wide  at  times 
that  we  could  hardly  distinguish  the  houses 
on  either  side ;  then  crossing  bits  of  rough 
ground,  or  passing  through  narrower  streets 
bordered  by  small,  shabby  cottages;  seeing 
a  few  quiet  sort  of  people  occasionally,  but 
not  noticed  by  them  in  any  way.  Sometimes 
one  would  recognize  the  uniform  of  a  private 
in  the  F.A.M.P.  (I  can't  afford  to  write 
Frontier  Armed  and  Mounted  Police  every 


A  Peripatetic  Nightmare,  45 

time,  it  uses  too  much  ink) ;  but  there 
was  little  to  arrest  the  eye,  and  a  general 
atmosphere  of  dusty  dulness  seemed  to 
pervade  the  whole.  It  seemed  so  strange  to 
hear  no  carriages  rolling  along,  and  I  had 
an  indefinite  impression  that  some  one  had 
died,  and  that  we  must  not  talk  or  make  a 
noise. 

This  impression  was  deepened  by  my  own 
sleepiness,  the  darkness  of  the  night,  and  by 
the  fact  that  we  never  seemed  to  get  any- 
where. At  last,  just  as  I  had  dozed  off  into  a 
regular  nightmare,  and  was  expecting  to 
spend  the  rest  of  my  existence  trudging  along 
in  this  dreary  manner,  a  hearty  exclamation 
of  pleasure  from  my  husband  cheered  us  all 
by  the  information  that  in  a  few  more 
moments  we  should  arrive  at  Mr.  Bowker's 
door. 

I  was  too  tired  to  speak,  but  summoned  up 
a  nod  and  smile  in  return,  crossed  a  little  bit 
of  grass-land,  and  then,  just  as  I  felt  I  could 
not  advance  another  yard,  found  myself  pass- 
ing through  a  gate,  receiving  a  salute  from 
several   huge   dogs,   whose    voices   sounded 


46       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

cheerily  through  the  gloom,  and  the  kindest 
of  welcomes  from  their  master  ! 

All  this  was  in  the  leafy,  lovely  garden, 
perfumed  by  evening  blossoms,  and  gladdened 
by  Henry's  merry,  little  voice.  He  had  made 
friends  already  with  the  Kafir  man-servant ; 
and  now  a  very  neat  handmaiden  appeared, 
who  carried  off  the  children  to  some  distant 
region,  while  I  passed  through  the  verandah 
and  entered  the  drawing-room  to  be  more 
formally  introduced  to  our  host. 

I  felt  rather  owl-like,  emerging  from  the 
darkness  into  the  pleasantly-lighted  drawing- 
room,  and  too  dusty  to  rest  long  in  the  cosy, 
easy  chair  covered  by  its  spotless,  snowy 
kaross  (fur  rug) ;  so  quickly  flew  to  my  chicks, 
to  do  all  I  could  for  them,  and  perform  some 
very  welcome  and  necessary  ablutions  before 
dinner. 

On  my  return  I  caught  sight  of  the  soup- 
tureen  shining  in  the  dim  distance  of  a  room 
bejond,  and  it  was  not  long  before  the  butler 
announced  the  agreeable  fact,  and  we  hungry 
travellers  were  enjoying  its  very  acceptable 
contents. 


Capricious  Climate  of  British  Kaffraria.   47 

We  heard  that  our  Jamaica  acquaintance, 
Colonel  Lanyon,  had  just  left  for  Griqualand ; 
that  the  Honourable  Cecil  Ashley  had  also 
just  gone,  and  that  the  latter  gentleman  would 
probably  precede  us  one  stage  ahead  during 
the  whole  of  our  journey  up-country. 

Both  gentlemen  had  been  guests  of  the 
commandant,  who  seemed  always  to  have 
some  visitor  staying  in  the  house. 

I  did  not  return  to  the  drawing-room  after 
dinner,  as  I  had  unpacking  to  do,  and  was 
glad  to  take  my  coffee  into  the  children's 
room,  and  go  early  to  rest. 

To  rest,  but  not  to  sleep  !  and  after  a  night 
of  fever  I  was  favoured  with  an  attack  of  ague 
in  the  morning,  when  I  began  to  acquire  my 
first  impressions  of  that  most  puzzling,  most 
provoking,  and,  above  all  others,  most  difficult 
to  describe,  climate  of  British  Kaffraria. 


48       Friends  mid  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 


CHAPTER  YII. 

Climate  of  the  Eastern  Provinces — Swedish  Furniture — 
Trials  and  tribulations  of  a  "  grass-widow  "  ! 

The  room  I  occupied  had  several  French 
mndows  opening  into  the  verandah,  and 
through  these  I  gazed  admiringly  upon  a 
most  gracefully  arranged  garden,  flooded  with 
brilliant  morning  sunshine. 

Tropical  fruits  and  flowers,  gaily  painted 
butterflies  and  birds,  certainly  do  not  look 
much  like  winter  !  and  yet,  at  the  same  mo- 
ment, my  hands  were  aching  through  and 
through  after  the  icy  water  in  which  they  had 
been  bathed ;  and  blue  with  cold,  and  chilled 
to  my  very  heart,  I  loaded  myself  with  all  the 
warm  clothing  I  could  find,  and  even  then 
had  to  send  for  another  shawl  during  break- 
fast. 

The   sunshine   out  of   doors  looked  most 


Vicissihtdes  of  Climate  Continued.        49 

inviting,  and  immediately  after,  I  hastily  put 
on  a  warm  jacket,  armed  myself  with  a  muff, 
and  sallied  forth. 

For  the  first  five  minutes  I  was  in 
ecstasies  about  the  sunshine  and  the  dry, 
bracing  air ;  and  did  not  grumble  at  the 
columns  of  dust  which  greeted  us  at  every 
breeze,  and  which  were  rapidly  converting 
my  sable  garments  into  raiment  of  orders 
grey.  But  after  a  mile  or  so  of  weary 
walking  over  dusty  roads,  I  ventured  to 
suggest  that  it  was  getting  rather  warm 
now. 

"  Warm !  "  rejoined  my  husband ;  "  piping 
hot,  you  mean  !  Can't  you  take  your  jacket 
off?" 

"  What,  here  in  the  open  street  ?  "  I  de- 
murred. 

"  Oh,  yes  ;  there  is  nobody  looking."  So  I 
thankfiilly  take  off  the  jacket  which  had  felt 
so  snug  and  comfortable  only  half  an  hour 
before. 

The  heat  now  rapidly  increased,  and  by 
the  time  we  arrived  at  Messrs.  Irvine's  stores, 
I  was  almost  melting,  and  glad  to  rest  while 

E 


50       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

my  husband  attended  to  some  Government 
business. 

Wben  tbis  was  despatched,  Edward  took 
me  to  look  at  some  pretty  Swedish  furniture, 
which  he  thought  particularly  suitable  for 
our  little  cottage  in  the  Transkei,  and  I  forgot 
the  heat  for  a  time  in  the  interest  of  pre- 
paring for  our  future  home. 

This  interest  would  have  been  considerably 
diminished,  had  I  known  that  the  greafer 
portion  of  the  things  I  was  now  selecting 
with  so  much  care  would  only  remain  in  our 
possession  five  short  weeks ;  that  the  pretty 
china  and  glass  would  be  smashed  and  dese- 
crated by  rough  and  savage  hands;  that 
the  bedsteads  would  become  the  last  rest- 
ing-place of  dying,  wounded  men ;  that 
many  tables  and  chairs  would  be  broken 
up  for  fuel;  while  the  large  stores  of 
provisions  we  were  now  purchasing  for 
our  store-room,  would  be  appropriated 
by  the  very  men — no  !  I  will  not  call 
them  men — by  the  colonial  gentlemen 
who  should  have  been  the  first  to  protect 
me. 


Have  "  Wo7nens  Rights"  banished  Chivalry  f  5 1 

But  the  age  of  chivalry  is  past,  and  the 
fact  of  a  woman  happening  to  be  for  a  time 
defenceless  is  no  longer  a  claim  to  either 
sympathy  or  respect.  Au  co7itraire,  the 
grass-widow  is  fair  game — the  target  for 
every  arrow — the  unhappy  butt  of  every 
sarcasm. 

Women  dislike  her,  because  under  the 
same  circumstances,  they  would  be  fast ;  men 
distrust  her,  because  she  is  not  so. 

Between  Scylla  and  Charybdis,  the  poor 
little  grass-widow  becomes  perplexed  and 
bewildered.  No  one  is  perfect,  and  where 
every  eye  is  on  the  watch  to  detect  a  flaw, 
it  is  not  difficult  to  find  fault.  The  more 
unsophisticated  the  nature,  the  more  likely 
to  fall  before  long  into  some  little  error  of 
judgment,  from  which  one  true  woman-friend 
might  have  saved  her. 

And  then, — is  not  Society  severe  to  the 
poor,  unconscious  offender  ? 

A  hundred  to  one  they  unite  in  the  noble, 
the  courageous,  the  dignified  task  of  break- 
ing the  poor  butterfly  on  a  wheel,  unmind- 
ful that  it  may  perchance  prove  a  wheel  of 
E  2 


5  2       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

fortune,  whicli  will  one  day  revolve  and  bear 
the  little  sufferer  up  again  to  the  sunshine, 
while  her  persecutors  are  crushed  into  the 
dust. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Shopping  at  King  William's  Town — The  Dinner-hour — 
"  Do  at  Rome  as  the  Komans  do  " — A  South  African 
Cup  of  Coffee — Transformation-scene. 

Mt  husband  and  I  had  contemplated  remain- 
ing at  Irvine's  until  the  afternoon,  so  as  to 
get  through  the  greater  part  of  our  shopping ; 
but  at  one  p.m.  the  clerk  modestly  hinted 
that  the  establishment  was  about  to  be  closed 
for  an  hour  to  enable  the  employes  to  get 
their  dinners.  We  therefore  left  the  store, 
and  walked  down  what  looked  like  the  shop- 
piest  street  in  the  town,  intending  to  make 
some  purchases  and  return  at  the  expiration 
of  the  hour.  But,  to  our  dismay,  we  found 
that  all  the  shops  were  practically  closed. 

They  were  not  literally  shut  up ;  but  we 
found  them  all  abandoned  to  the  care  of  some 
especially  elderly  woman  or  particularly  juve- 


54       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

nile  boy,  and  all  hopes  of  eliciting  any  more 
eligible  personage  resulted  in  disappointment. 

We  went  through  the  same  dreary  routine 
at  every  shop.  After  repeated  appeals  to  the 
tender  mercies  of  the  concierge,  he  or  she 
would  open  a  door,  through  which  we  beheld 
a  distant  vision  of  a  family  party  enjoying  a 
most  bountiful  repast.  Savoury  smells  issued 
from  this  sanctum,  and  the  clatter  of  knives 
and  steel  forks  clanged  noisily  in  our  ears. 

A  gruff  rejoinder  from  the  person  wanted 
appeared  to  satisfy  the  concierge,  who  re- 
turned calmly  to  his  normal  occupation  of 
catching  flies  on  the  window ;  and  who  from 
that  moment  became  as  stonily  unconscious 
of  our  presence,  as  the  Sphinx  of  the  pigmy 
tourists  at  her  base. 

We  would  then  wait  patiently  (no,  impa- 
tiently I  mean)  for  ten  minutes  or  so,  rapping 
with  our  umbrellas,  coughing,  and  in  other 
ways  endeavouring  to  get  somebody  to  take 
compassion  upon  us. 

All  in  vain  !  and  at  last,  in  despair,  we 
decided  that  as  King  William's  Town  was 
dining  we  must  dine  too. 


A  King  William! s  Town  Restaurant.     55 

(One  would  almost  imagine  there  was  some 
conspiracy  between  tlie  restaurateurs  of  this 
place  and  the  other  establishments ;  for  be- 
tween one  and  two  p.m.  one  is  fairly  driven 
into  a  pastrycook's  !) 
Resolved  to  be  fashionable  or  die ;  we  strolled 

sadly  on  to  B 's  Hotel,  and  I  made  up  my 

mind  to  face  the  worst. 

I  knew  pretty  well  what  I  had  to  go 
through. — East  London  had  prepared  me  for 
that. 

A  hot,  stuffy  room ;  not  one  blind  drawn 
down,  and  not  one  window  drawn  up  !  a 
Dutch  trader  on  one  side,  my  husband  on 
the  other ;  a  missionary  opposite,  and  at  the 
head  of  the  table  a  clerk  from  a  store  who 
will  be  on  intimate  terms  with  the  family, 
and  wear  a  red  neck-tie — while  an  atmo- 
sphere of  onions  and  overcoats  will  pervade 
the  whole! 

However,  it  was  not  so  bad  after  all. 

As  we  entered  the  room  every  one  rose 
politely,  and  the  worthy  host  contrived  to 
find  time  to  usher  me  into  my  place,  despite 
the  manifold  claims  upon  his  time  and  atten- 


56       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trauskei. 

tion  which  the  duties  of  his  position  entailed 
upon  him. 

He  was  standing  at  a  sideboard  carving  a 
superb  sirloin  ;  and  my  impression  is,  that  a 
leg  of  mutton,  some  roast  pork,  and  various 
other  trifles,  were  also  disappearing  under 
the  rapid  touch  of  those  skilful,  surgical 
hands. 

But  this  represented  only  a  portion  of  his 
task — he  had  servants  to  scold,  beverages  to 
dispense,  and,  in  addition,  contrived  to  keep 
up  an  incessant  stream  of  conversation  with 
every  individual  in  the  room ;  evidently  re- 
garding his  jokes  in  the  light  of  an  indis- 
pensable sauce. 

The  good  man  seemed  quite  distressed  at 
my  lack  of  appetite,  and  came  kindly  round 
to  inquire,  in  tones  of  real  concern,  if  there 
was  nothing  I  could  "  fancy  "  ? 

I  suggested  a  cup  of  cofiee,  hoping  it  would 
not  give  much  trouble. 

Trouble  !  on  the  contrary,  a  subdued  mur- 
mur of  approval  went  the  round  of  the  assem- 
bly, while  mine  host  fairly  beamed  upon  me. 

Evidently,  if   there  was  one   thing   upon 


Cafd  Noir  a  la  Hollandaise.  57 

which  B 's  especially  prided  itself,  it  was 

that  balm  of  Gilead  to  a  Dutchman — a  cup 
of  coffee  ! 

True,  I  had  frequently  partaken  of  French 
coffee  in  France ; — the  following  year  I  should 
be  regaled  with  Arabian  cafe  noir  in  a  Sultan's 
Palace — but  these  past  and  future  pleasures 
were  as  nothing  in  comparison  to  the  treat 
now  in  store. 

I  had  yet  to  live ;  and  in  that  magic  beve- 
rage I  should  find  the  true  and  veritable 
Elixir  Vitce! 

(It  really  was  very  nice,  and  I  had  the  plea- 
sure of  praising  it,  in  words  that  were  not 
only  kindly  intended  but  strictly  true.) 

We  now  returned  to  our  shopping  like  giants 
refreshed. — By  this  time  every  one  else  seemed 
awake  again ;  and  the  contrast  presented  by 
the  bright  and  busy  appearance  of  the  town 
was  so  great  in  comparison  to  its  apathetic 
condition  an  hour  before,  that  one  could 
hardly  help  fancying  some  magician's  wand 
had  been  at  work  in  the  interim. 

It  was  quite  a  transformation,  and  one 
almost  expected  to  find  some  fairy  columbine 


58       Friend's  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

floating  along  to  give  a  touch  of  grace  to  the 
picture,  or,  at  the  very  least,  to  encounter  half 
a  dozen  clowns  to  add  a  spark  of  animation 
to  the  scene. 

But  I  fear  Grace  and  Wit  are  lady- travellers 
who  have  not  yet  visited  South  Africa ;  and 
perhaps  this  is  as  well,  for  the  soft  wings  of 
the  one,  and  the  delicate  shafts  of  the  other, 
would  most  assuredly  become  injured  and 
blunted,  from  contact  with  the  rough  expe- 
riences which  would  everywhere  surround 
them,  while  their  sensitive  natures  would 
often  quiver  in  anguish  from  wounds  uncon- 
sciously, but  ever  constantly,  inflicted. 


CHAPTER  IX, 

"  Patience  on  a  Monument  " — Rapid  changes  of  Tempe- 
rature— Sunday  at  the  Commandant's — A  deliciously 
untidy  Garden  —  Farewell  to  Civilisation  —  Anxious 
thought  for  the  Morrow. 

This  afternoon  however,  all  went  well ;  and 
the  most  artistic  purchaser  would  have  had 
no  reasonable  cause  to  complain  of  the  pretty 
china,  glass,  &c. ;  from  which  I  had  the  femi- 
nine pleasure  of  selecting  the  newest-oldest- 
looking,  for  our  little  cabin  across  the  Kei. 

The  next  three  days  were  spent  in  /'  one 
continuous  round  of  shopping,"  until  I  began 
to  imagine  myself  metamorphosed  into  the 
far-famed  Miss  Flora  McFlimsey  of  Madison 
Square,  and  to  think  my  husband  must  be 
her  friend  Mrs.  Harris  !  No,  that  long-suffer- 
ing man  must  be  rather  Patience  on  a  Monu- 
ment in  disguise ;  for  a  mortal  Mrs.   Harris 


6o       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

miglit  have  put  up  with  the  shopping,  but 
would  most  certainly  have  murmured  at  the 
weary  walk  which  preceded  and  followed  it, 
and  which  I  only  accomplished  by  reminding 
myself  every  five  minutes  of  the  delicious  cup 
of  tea  which  the  kind  Commandant  invariably 
had  ready  for  me  on  my  arrival  in  the 
verandah. 

I  should  not  have  felt  the  fatigue  so  much 
had  I  not  been  suffering  from  ague  ;  which 
clung  to  me  in  the  most  affectionate  and  exas- 
perating manner  the  whole  time  we  were  at 
King  William's  Town.  This  was  doubtless 
owing  to  the  perpetual  and  violent  changes 
of  temperature ;  in  the  morning  it  was  too 
cold  to  do  anything  ;  in  the  middle  of  the 
day  it  was  too  hot  to  do  anything ;  and  by  the 
evening  it  was  so  cold  again,  that  one  might 
as  well  wait  until  the  next  day  to  do  anything  ! 
(I  am  not  responsible  for  this  remark,  which 
was  the  suggestion  of  a  friend.)  Poor  old 
England !  people  call  your  climate  change- 
able ;  what  would  they  say  to  that  of  British 
Kaffraria !  You  are  a  respectable  old  lady, 
and  content  to  wear  a  winter  or  summer  dress- 


A  Welcome  Day  of  Rest.  '61 

for  several  months  in  succession;  but  this 
Africander  damsel  must  don  both  on  the 
same  day,  and  wish  for  the  other  the  whole 
time ! 

However,  Sunday  came  at  last,  and  nature 
attired  herself  in  her  fairest  and  most  attrac- 
tive dress,  to  do  honour  to  the  day  of  rest. 

We  did  not  go  to  church,  as  it  was  ever  so 
far  away ;  but  I  think  church  came  to  us,  in 
the  restful,  peaceful  calm  which  pervaded  the 
whole  place. 

I  also  enjoyed  a  cosy  time  with  my  chil- 
dren again,  for  during  the  past  week  I  had 
only  had  occasional  peeps  at  them,  and  it 
was  a  perfect  luxury  to  take  dear  baby  on 
my  lap  again. 

After  breakfast  we  adjourned  to  the  veran- 
dah, and  feasted  our  weary  eyes  upon  the 
lovely  foliage  and  flowers  in  the  garden 
below. 

This  garden  pleased  me  very  much — it  was 
so  gracefully  untidy. 

Some  one  said,  "it  would  drive  a  Frenchman 
mad; "  but  my  private  opinion  is,  that  the 
Frenchman    would    have    taken    possession 


62       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

of  the  most  comfortable  Madeira  chair, 
lighted  a  cigarette,  and  made  himself  very 
happy ! 

I  did  not  light  a  cigarette,  but  I  did  seize 
upon  the  most  luxurious,  low  chair,  and 
amused  myself  watching  little  Henry,  who 
was  vainly  endeavouring  to  catch  the  bril- 
liant butterflies  which  flew  about  in  all  direc- 
tions. 

The  whole  thing  was  quite  a  picture  !  Op- 
posite to  the  verandah  was  a  pretty,  miniature 
lake,  from  the  centre  of  which  rose  a  tiny 
fountain,  whose  sparkling  spray  scattered 
silvery  dewdrops  upon  the  tall  papyrus  plants 
around,  and  then  descended  in  graceful 
cadence  upon  the  lilies  which  lay  lovingly 
upon  the  water  beneath. 

Doves  came  to  drink  at  this  fountain,  un- 
disturbed by  the  presence  of  my  fair-haired 
little  boy ;  who  chased  the  pretty  butterflies 
fluttering  about  him,  his  white  puggaree 
streaming  in  the  breeze. 

Beyond  the  little  lake,  one  looked  along 
vague  vistas  of  trees  laden  with  tropical 
fruit,  brilliant  foliage,  and  gorgeous  flowers  ; 


Adieu  to  Civilization  !  63 

all  arranged  so  gracefully  that  a  sort  of 
enchantment  seemed  to  pervade  the  whole. 

Perhaps  this  charm  was  not  lessened  by 
the  knowledge  that  on  the  morrow  we  were 
to  bid  adieu  to  civilisation,  and  commence 
our  march  towards  the  wilderness;  and  I 
felt  as  the  explorer  feels,  when  he  bids  fare- 
well to  home  ! 

The  whole  of  that  peaceful  Sunday  will  ever 
remain  on  my  mind  as  an  oasis  of  rest  and 
serenity ;  framed  by  the  circle  of  stormy 
events  which  preceded  and  followed  it,  and 
tinted  en  couleurs  de  rose. 

I  went  to  bed  that  night  quite  prepared  to 
start  early  next  morning ;  braced  for  any  dis- 
comforts ;  rather  wishing  for  a  few  hardships, 
and  wondering  what  adventures  would  befall 
us  before  the  journey  was  over  ! 


64       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Bathos  ! — A  welcome  arrival— Another  Job's  Comforter — 
Vain  attempts  to  start  early — Antediluvian  appearance 
of  wagons — The  "  cartel" — I  have  my  own  way,  and 
regret  it — Tips  and  downs  of  a  Wagon  Journey — Some 
gratuitous,  feminine  suggestions  for  the  War  OflBce — 
"Here  we  are !  " — A  disagreeable  Surprise — AGfenerous 
Gostess — Hangman's  Bush. 

It  was  rather  a  bathos ;  when  after  being 
roused  at  some  unearthly  hour,  and  having 
valiantly  faced  the  icy  cold  water ;  trembling 
with  cold  and  dying  for  the  early  coifee,  I 
was  informed  by  my  husband  that  there  was 
no  chance  of  our  starting  that  day,  as  the 
oxen  had  all  been  lost  during  the  night ! 

Of  course  the  day  passed  away,  but  it  was 
very  stupid — everything  packed  up,  and  a 
restless  feeling  prevented  one's  enjoying  the 
many  comforts  about  one. 

It  was  quite  a  relief  when,  just  before  sun- 


Commencement  of  JVagon-yowney,      65 

set,  I  heard  a  bright,  cheery  voice  talking 
pleasantly  to  my  little  boy.  My  husband 
caught  sight  of  me,  and  introduced  the  owner 
of  the  kindly  voice  as  Captain  (now  Major) 
Robinson,  Royal  Artillery. 

We  had  quite  a  merry  little  dinner,  our 
new  friend  doing  his  best  to  invent  or  recol- 
lect every  horrible  story  he  could  hunt  up  to 
prepare  me  for  the  future  ! 

After  dinner  I  went  to  my  room,  deter- 
mined to  remain  there  until  I  heard  the  oxen 
were  really  forthcoming ;  doing  my  best  to 
put  a  brave  face  on  our  future,  but  in- 
wardly quaking  in  the  most  craven,  possible 
way. 

However,  next  morning  dawned  brightly, 
and  ushered  in  an  almost  tropical  day,  which 
I,  with  my  love  of  sunshine,  greatly  appre- 
ciated, and  which  seemed  to  put  new  hfe  and 
energy  into  us  all. 

It  was  Tuesday,  the  24th  July,  1877 — a 
date  which  I  may  be  permitted  to  chronicle, 
as  it  was  the  first  step  in  a  new  career. 

My  husband  did  the  work  of  seven  men  in 
futile   attempts   to  start    early;    our    Kafir 


66       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

drivers  silently  but  stubbornly  baffled  all  his 
efforts,  and  it  was  quite  11  a.m.  before  we 
fairly  started. 

The  government  wagon  was  drawn  up  in 
front  of  the  gate,  and  two  other  wagons, 
which  were  to  convey  our  furniture,  &c., 
stood  immediately  behind. 

I  felt  like  Jacob  going  down  into  Egypt  at 
the  sight  of  this  antediluvian  array,  and 
made  up  my  mind  not  to  express  surprise 
if  Noah's  Ark  appeared  by  way  of  a  ferry- 
boat when  we  arrived  at  the  Kei. 

Every  one  knows  by  this  time  what  South 
African  wagons  are  like,  so  I  will  merely 
describe  the  interior  arrangement,  which  my 
husband  had  superintended  himself.  Eight 
across  the  wagon  was  fixed  a  sort  of  frame- 
work made  of  leather  (called  a  "car^e/"),  on 
which  were  placed  mattrasses  and  pillows. 
On  this  we  were  expected  to  recline,  and  I 
found  nurse  and  the  children  perched  up 
quite  comfortably.  I,  however,  indignantly 
declined  the  idea  of  travelling  in  this  lazy 
sort  of  fashion. 

"  No,  indeed  !  I  am  going  to  sit  up  and 


Too  Late  ! —  Too  Late !  67 

look  at  the  scenery.  Do  you  think  I  am 
going  through  South  Africa  with  my  eyes 
shut?" 

The  kind  Commandant  and  Captain  Eobin- 
son  did  all  they  could  to  prove  to  me  the 
vanity  of  such  a  resolution,  but  of  course  I 
had  my  own  way,  and  soon  discovered  I  had 
made  a  mistake. 

I  started  in  grand  style,  and  was  just 
thinking  how  comfortable  I  was,  when  bump, 
dump,  went  the  wagon  into  a  deep  hole  !  As 
for  me,  I  was  thrown  violently  on  to  my  face 
in  fall  view  of  the  gentlemen  at  the  gate, 
whose  kind  advice  I  now  tried  in  vain  to  take  ! 

But  I  had  lost  my  chance ;  and  now,  with 
the  wagoQ  in  motion,  it  was  simply  impos- 
sible to  accomplish  what  would  have  been 
perfectly  feasible  a  few  minutes  before. 

We  were  mounting  the  circle  of  hills  by 
which  King  Wilham's  Town  is  surrounded ; 
my  husband  had  not  yet  arrived,  and  I  did 
not  venture  to  order  the  wagon  to  be  stopped 
during  the  ascent,  so  I  passed  the  first  half- 
hour  in  great  discomfort,  and  arrived  at  the 
summit,  a  sadder  but  a  wiser  woman.  I  now 
P  2 


68       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei, 

looked  down  upon  King  William's  Town, 
which  lay  at  the  bottom  of  a  green  basin  like 
an  egg  that  was  going  to  be  beaten.  I  wished 
some  colossal  cook  would  take  compassion 
upon  it  and  shake  it  up  a  little !  It  seemed 
strange  that  the  first  settlers  should  have 
pitched  their  tents  down  in  a  hole,  when  they 
might  have  perched  like  eagles,  upon  those 
charming  hills. 

I  now  no  longer  marvelled  at  the  close 
atmosphere  which  had  suffocated  me  at  mid- 
day, nor  at  the  ague  I  had  suffered  from 
morning  and  evening. 

I  am  not  learned  in  military  matters,  but 
could  not  help  also  thinking  King  William's 
Town  but  ill  adapted  for  defence.  Surely 
thousands  of  Kafirs  could  easily  and  simul- 
taneously surmount  this  circle  of  hills, 
and  then  would  not  the  town  be  almost  at 
their  mercy  ?  If  I  were  the  good  Genius 
of  the  place,  I  would  build  a  few  martello 
towers  on  the  summit  of  those  hills,  and 
station  a  guard  to  give  notice  of  an  enemy's 
approach. 

But  here  come — not  the  enemy — but  two 


Painful  Experierices,  69 

horsemen,  who  soon  resolve  themselves  into 
my  husband  and  his  orderly. 

Their  arrival  brightened  us  up  considerably, 
and  Edward  halted  the  wagon  to  pack  me  up 
comfortably  before  proceeding  any  farther. 

I  felt  this  was  more  than  I  deserved,  after 
my  obstinate  little  fit  of  conceit,  and  resolved 
to  be  a  model  of  meekness  for  the  future ! 

As  usual,  the  Valley  of  Humiliation  soon 
became  sweet  and  pleasant,  and  we  jogged 
along  pretty  comfortably  for  about  two  hours. 

The  awnino^  had  lonof  since  been  drawn 
down  to  protect  us  from  the  heat.  Baby  had 
for  some  time  been  asleep ;  and,  lulled  by  the 
dull  thud,  thud,  of  the  wagon,  I  was  rapidly 
imitating  his  example,  when  a  voice  shouted 
in  my  ear,  "  Here  we  are  !  "  I  patiently  sub- 
mitted to  be  unpacked  like  a  sort  of  bundle, 
and  deposited  on  the  grass,  where,  to  my 
astonishment,  I  instantly  collapsed. 

The  journey  had.  been  so  comparatively 
easy  that  I  was  surprised  to  find  myself 
trembling  all  over,  every  limb  cramped,  and 
a  most  uncomfortable  sensation  of  having 
been   pounded  in  a  mortar,  and  afterwards 


70       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

sliaken  in  a  sieve,  "  pervading  one's  entire 
being"  (as  our  cousins  across  the  Atlantic 
would  say). 

Feeling  all  attempt  at  dignity  would  be  an 
utter  failure,  I  meekly  followed  Nurse  and  the 
children  into  a  funny  little  house,  known  as 
"  Gunn's,"  where  a  cheerful-looking  woman 
received  us  pleasantly,  and  inquired  if  we 
wished  to  be  shown  into  a  dressing-room. 

I  replied  in  the  affirmative,  and  now  another 
shock  awaited  me. 

After  my  experiences  outside  the  house  I 
ventured  rather  timidly  to  the  looking-glass  ; 
but  modestly  as  I  prepared  for  the  "  first 
view,"  I  must  confess  that  I  received  a  dis- 
agreeable surprise ! 

What  had  become  of  the  carefully-arranged 
plaits  upon  which  I  had  expended  so  much 
patience  in  the  morning  ? 

A  dusty  wig,  resembling  an  old  mop  more 
than  anything  else,  bristling  with  pins  ap- 
parently bent  upon  flying  to  every  point  of  the 
compass  at  once,  confronted  my  bewildered 
gaze.  A  face  begrimed  with  dust,  and  collar 
to  matchj  completed  my  discomfiture ;  and  a 


A  ''Gtide  Wifer  71 

glance  at  my  dust-laden  hat  and  cloth- 
ing, put  the  finishing  stroke  to  my  mor- 
tification. 

"  Well,"  I  thought,  "  Venus  herself  could 
not  hope  to  look  even  respectable  under  such 
circumstances,  so  I  must  not  murmur ;"  and 
armed  with  a  bagful  of  brushes,  sponges, 
and  towels,  I  turned  away  to  battle  with  the 
dust. 

Most  welcome  ablutions  followed,  and  by 
the  time  my  husband  came  to  summon  me  to 
lunch,  I  felt  a  little  more  like  a  "  Member  of 
Society." 

We  found  the  repast  spread  in  a  tidy  little 
dining-room  —  delicious  bread  and  butter  ; 
some  cold  mutton  and  chutney,  and  preserves ; 
^the  whole  flanked  by  a  cofFee-pot  and  very 
clean  cups  and  saucers.  The  steel  forks  were 
rather  a  trial  at  first,  especially  as  mine  in- 
sisted upon  constantly  stabbing  me ;  however, 
I  soon  became  more  expert,  and,  by  the  time 
I  had  poured  out  the  coffee,  began  to  feel 
quite  at  home. 

The  "  gude  wife"  waited  upon  us,  and  on 
our  departure  actually  ran  after  the  wagon 


72       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

with  an  offering  of  some  of  her  delicious 
butter  by  way  of  a  parting  gift. 

"  Do  take  it,  mum !  don't  be  vexed  !  you 
will  get  nothing  so  good  where  you're  agoing 
to." 

I  accepted  it  most  gratefully,  and  the  good 
creature  stood  smiling  and  nodding  at  the 
children  until  we  were  out  of  sight.  We 
continued  our  journey  along  grassy,  undu- 
lating, but  not  specially  interesting  country, 
until  about  4  p.m. ;  when  a  change  crept  over 
the  atmosphere,  and  a  chilly  breeze  (feeling 
trebly  cold  after  the  tropical  sunshine  of  the 
previous  hours)  compelled  us  to  halt  and  pre- 
pare forthe  evening  journey.  My  husband  rode 
up,  and,  giving  his  horse  to  the  orderly,  made 
us  all  get  out  and  wrap  ourselves  in  all  the 
shawls  we  could  muster.  Meanwhile  a  beauti- 
ful white  kaross  was  laid  upon  the  mattrass, 
and  we  were  put  back  into  the  wagon  like 
so  many  dolls.  My  husband  then  tucked  us 
up  inside  the  kaross  and  departed,  imagining 
we  were  comfortable  ! ! 

Had  I  only  had  to  share  the  kaross  with 
my  children,  we  should  have  been  cosy  enough, 


Travellers'^  Trials.  73 

but  unfortunately  it  had  also  to  shelter  our 
nurse,  poor  Johanna  Gog  ! 

This  was  not  very  agreeable,  and  became 
still  less  so  day  by  day,  as  that  worthy 
woman's  dress  became  more  thoroughly  per- 
meated with  dust ;  especially  as  I  discovered 
that  she  did  not  recognize  the  necessity  of 
ablutions  en  voyage. 

"  What  is  the  good  of  washing  when  you 
are  going  to  be  black  again  in  half  an  hour  ?" 
she  would  exclaim  in  reply  to  my  gentle 
hints  that  her  personal  comfort  would  be 
increased  by  a  nightly  tub. 

I  did  not  dare  to  say  much  for  fear  of 
losing  my  "  treasure,"  and  felt  grateful  that, 
for  appearance'  sake,  she  did  try  to  keep  her 
face  and  hands  clean  ! 

But  though  I  suffered  silently,  I  did  suffer  ; 
comforting  myself  however  with  the  reflec- 
tion, that  the  journey  would  not  last  for  ever. 

The  wagon  now  steadily  jogged  along  until 
we  arrived  at  a  place  known  at  that  pre-his- 
toric  period  as  "  Hangman's  Bush,"  but  which 
now  rejoices  in  the  almost  equally  ugly,  and 
far  more  inappropriate  name  of  "  Kei  Koad." 


74       F^Hends  and  Foes  in  the  Transket. 

It  was  now  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing, and  I  was  not  sorry  to  learn  we  were 
to  rest  here  for  the  night.  I  had  plied  the 
children  steadily  with  biscuits  and  milk  all 
the  afternoon,  and  they  had  done  pretty  well; 
but  though  I  had  tried  to  munch  a  biscuit 
or  two,  it  had  been  a  failure,  as  I  was  too 
thirsty  to  eat. 

What  would  I  not  have  given  for  a  cup  of 
afternoon  tea  !  but  that  luxury  was  unattain- 
able on  this  occasion,  as  my  husband  could 
not  "  out-spann,"  as  we  had  lost  so  much 
time  in  the  morning. 

For  about  two  hours  I  had  been  telling 
stories  to  Henry ;  these  were  succeeded  by 
hymns ;  and  finally  the  little  man  fell  asleep 
in  a  futile  attempt  to  say  his  prayers. 

I  was  now  glad  to  rest  myself,  and  rather 
enjoyed  lying  there  looking  up  at  the  golden 
stars. 

My  husband  rode  up  for  a  few  kind  words 
now  and  then,  and  when  about  half  an  hour's 
distance  from  our  destination,  directed  the 
orderly  to  gallop  on  and  secure  rooms  for  us 
at  the  hotel. 


Little  "  Ducks  in  the  Water.'*  75 

I  also  put  in  a  plea  for  plenty  of  hot  water, 
as  I  wished  to  send  the  poor  chicks  clean  to 
bed,  as  we  should  not  have  time  for  much 
bathing  in  the  morning. 

Our  kind  pioneer  did  his  work  well,  and  by 
the  time  we  arrived  everything  was  ready,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  both  httle  ones  were  luxu- 
riating in  one  big  tub. 


76       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

High-tea  in  Kaffraria — Recollections  of  Stanfield — A 
Komance  in  Real  Life — Souvenir  of  a  Cheshire  drawing- 
room. 

After  seeing  the  children  comfortably  into 
bed,  I  went  to  look  for  my  husband  *,  who  at 
once  took  me  into  a  good-sized  dining-room. 
Here  a  long  table  was  laid,  almost  luxuriously, 
for  "  high  tea,"  and  I  was  surprised  to  find 
everything  so  comfortable.  Bright  plate, 
glass  and  china,  glistened  and  glittered  upon 
a  most  immaculate  tablecloth ;  tea  and  coffee 
were  being  served ;  some  hot  entrees  only 
awaited  my  arrival  to  be  handed  round  ;  and 
several  varieties  of  cold  meat,  cakes,  and  pre- 
serves, made  a  picture  of  substantial  comfort 
which  we  felt  by  no  means  inclined  to  severely 
criticize  after  our  long  journey. 

Besides  all  these  good  things  there  were 


A  Good  Hotel.  77 


fresh  eggs,  butter,  and — that  indispensable 
adjunct  to  every  Dutchman's  meal — cheese  at 
hand;  so  I  think  a  word  of  compliment  is 
really  due  to  our  host,  good  Mr.  Heath. 

We  shared  this  entertainment  with  a  motley 
group  of  travellers,  and  I  was  the  only  lady 
present ;  but  I  had  nothing  to  complain  of. 
All  behaved  in  the  most  courteous  way,  and 
there  was  nothing  to  distress  me  except  the 
feeling  that  I  was  a  painful  constraint  upon 
them,  and  that  they  must  be  longing  for  me 
to  depart. 

The  worst  of  it  was  they  all  seemed  too  shy 
to  eat,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  not  to  come 
in  to  breakfast  until  they  had  all  had  a  good 
start. 

Having  made  this  resolution,  I  summoned 
courage  to  look  about  me,  and  found 
to  my  astonishment  that  the  entire  wall- 
surface  of  the  room  was  covered  with  oil- 
paintings. 

My  interest  was  increased  when  I  was  told 
a  romantic  story  in  connexion  with  them.  It 
seems  they  were  the  work  of  a  young  artist, 
who,  in  despair  at  the  death  of  his  bride,  had 


yS       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

tried  to  alleviate  his  sorrow  by  the  vicissi- 
tudes of  a  wandering  life. 

The  scenes  depicted  were  chiefly  conti- 
nental, and  reminded  me  of  a  dear,  old^ 
drawing-room  in  Cheshire,  which  had  been 
decorated  by  the  great  Stanfield  in  his  early 
days  :  they  recalled  the  grand  piano,  and  the 
quaint  garden  beyond  the  great  window, 
and  I  almost  fancied  I  was  a  girl  again, 
playing  dreamy  cadences  with  flowers  as  my 
only  audience ;  gazing  lovingly  at  the  beautiful 
scenes  by  which  I  was  surrounded,  and  won- 
dering wistfully  whether  I  should  ever  have 
the  happiness  of  seeing  them  in  reality ! 
With  an  eff'ort  I  roused  myself  to  face  the 
answer  to  these  girlish  questionings. — Yes, 
my  longing  for  a  Crusoe  life  had  been  grati- 
fied, and  though  South  African  scenery  had 
been  a  little  disappointing,  lovely  Jamaica  had 
not ;  and  I  felt  grateful  that  I  had  been  pri- 
vileged to  behold  her  tropical  beauty.  But 
now,  all  I  had  to  look  forward  to  was  a 
monotonous  existence  in  the  desolate  Trans- 
kei ;  and,  saddened  somewhat  by  the  thought 
of  the  stagnation  which  awaited  me,  I  be- 


A  Thoughtful  Domestic.  79 

thouglit  myself  of  my  duties,  and  finding 
Nurse  had  thoughtfully  performed  them  all 
for  me,  departed  to  bed  to  prepare  for  the 
march  to-morrow.  The  children,  nurse,  and 
I,  shared  a  most  comfortable  room,  and  were 
soon  all  sleeping  soundly  after  our  long  and 
fatiguing  journey. 


8o       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

The  Guards — A  daring  Theft — Picnic  in  the  Prairie — 
Amateur  housekeepers — Stepping-stones — Charms  to  be 
found  even  in  Wagon-travelling — Dreie-bosch. 

My  husband  slept  in  the  wagon  ;  "  on  guard," 
as  he  called  it,  and  his  orderly  was  also  on 
duty,  but  I  fear  the  "  Guards  "  would  both 
have  run  some  risk  of  being  summoned 
before  a  court-martial,  had  there  been  any 
authorities  to  call  their  conduct  into  question, 
for  their  presence  did  not  prevent  the  com- 
mission of  a  most  daring  theft. 

Next  morning,  just  as  we  were  all  ready  to 
make  an  early  start,  my  husband  discovered 
that  some  indispensable  part  of  the  harness 
had  disappeared,  and  this  occasioned  a  delay 
of  about  two  hours. 

However,  we  did  get  off  at  last,  after  an 
interval  of  waiting  which  I   beguiled   by   a 


We '' Ca7np  Outr  8i 

complimentary  chat  with  our  landlord,  who 
had  served  in  the  West  Indies  and  seemed 
pleased  to  talk  about  Jamaica. 

Before  leaving,  we  procured  provisions  for 
a  mid-day  meal,  as  we  were  to  picnic  in  the 
wilderness.  I  rather  Hked  this  idea,  and  as 
the  weather  was  simply  charming,  the  morn- 
ing's "  trek  "  was  really  not  disagreeable. 

About   3   p.m.    we   halted,   on   the   bank 
of   a   river  called  the  Gnubie    (pronounced 
Ganubie),   and,  our  oxen   having  been  outV 
spanned,   prepared   for   our    Picnic    in   th^ 
Prairie. 

I  ought  to  have  mentioned  that  our  party 
had  been  reinforced  by  the  arrival  of  three 
more  of  my  husband's  escort,  so  I  felt  well 
protected,  with  no  less  than  five  cavaliers  in 
attendance.  (What  there  was  to  protect  me 
from,  I  don't  quite  know,  unless  it  was — 
snakes  !)  However,  I  did  nob  feel  disposed 
to  question  the  necessity,  or  doubt  the  valour, 
of  the  four  gentlemen,  who  acquitted  them- 
selves as  most  capable  knights  of  the  kettle, 
making  a  fire  and  cooking  our  dinner  in  less 
than  no  time. 

G 


82       Friends  and' Foes  in  tJie  Transkei. 

I  don't  think  they  had  the  least  faith  in  a 
housekeeper  under  six  feet  high,  for  they 
would  not  even  allow  my  maid  to  "  lay  the 
table."  However,  we  did  not  mind  this  igno- 
minious treatment,  and  were  all  very  happy ; 
the  children  enjoying  the  fresh  air  and  the 
flowers,  and  little  Henry  as  glad  as  we  were 
to  move  about  and  exercise  his  cramped 
limbs  a  little. 

When  summoned  to  dinner,  I  need  hardly 
say  we  admired  and  appreciated  everything, 
and  not  for  worlds  would  I  have  ventured  to 
suggest  that  the  tea,  meat,  and  even  butter, 
were  all  flavoured  by  the  tin  plates  and  cups 
in  which  they  were  served. 

Nurse  and  I,  however,  registered  a  private 
vow  to  take  the  commissariat  into  our  own 
hands  for  the  future,  and  never  to  travel 
again  without  a  small  supply  of  common 
china  (packed  among  glass-towels,  with  which 
to  wipe  it  afterwards). 

In  justice  to  my  sex,  I  must  also  add  that 
we  }iad  suggested  this  arrangement,  but  were 
silenced  by  the  reply  that  everything  was  all 
right,  and    that  during  our  journey  we  were 


Crossing  the  Gnubie.  Z'^ 

to  trust  entirely  to  the  superior  wisdom  and 
forethought  of  Man. 

After  that,  we  could  but  submit,  and  de- 
termine to  reserve  a  sweet  revenge  for  the 
next  wagon  journey,  when  of  course  we  in- 
tended everything  should  be  done  in  perfect 
style ! 

When  our  picnic-dinner  was  over,  I  took 
care  of  the  children,  while  nurse  washed 
clothes  for  baby  in  the  river,  drying  them 
afterwards  on  the  veldt. 

We  had  plenty  of  time,  making  a  lengthy 
halt,  our  oxen  not  being  in  good  condition. 

We  also  took  advantage  of  this  opportunity 
to  wash  our  hands  and  faces  in  the  river,  and 
were  quite  refreshed  when  our  "Commandant" 
gave  the  order  to  start  again. 

Now  came  a  difficult  little  bit.  The  wagon 
had  to  cross  the  river,  which  was  full  of 
large,  rocky  stones,  which  I  preferred  step- 
ping across,  to  being  jolted  over  them  in  the 
wagon.  My  husband  preceded  me,  carrying 
little  Henry  in  his  arms,  and  I  intended  nurse 
and  baby  to  cross  in  the  same  manner.  My 
dismay  can  therefore  be  imagined  when  I 
G  2 


84       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

found  the  wagon — nurse  and  baby  and  all 
— was  already  half  across  the  stream,  but  was 
reassured  by  nurse's  merry  laugh,  and  heard 
afterwards  both  had  rather  enjoyed  the  fun  ; 
baby  sleeping  comfortably,  and  nurse's  vigo- 
rous frame  apparently  none  the  worse  for 
the  jolting  it  had  received. 

After  the  exertion  of  jumping  from  one 
stone  to  another,  I  would  fain  have  cried  for 
mercy,  but  was  immediately  compelled  to 
climb  a  steep  hill,  and  could  not  get  into  the 
wagon  again  until  we  had  arrived  at  the 
summit. 

From  that  time  the  journey  was  all  an 
ascent,  as  we  had  to  rise  about  2000  feet,  and 
the  beautiful  scenery  really  did  compensate 
me  for  the  knocks  and  bruises  I  received 
while  sitting  up  to  admire  it. 

It  was  not  all  disagreeable  either ;  some- 
times after  a  particularly  unpleasant  shaking, 
being  hurled  alternately  from  one  side  to  the 
other,  one  would  gain  the  summit  of  a  hill 
and  go  on  quite  peacefully  for  a  mile  or  so. 

Then  it  was  delicious ;  one  reclined  upon 
the  nicely-arranged  cushions  and  gazed  with- 


Arrival  at  Dreie-bosch,  85 

out  fatigue  at  the  lovely,  ever-changing  pano- 
rama of  hills  and  valleys  which  one  enjoyed 
all  the  more  after  the  hard  times. 

Our  dear  little  son  was  also  having  a  plea- 
sant change  by  riding  on  horseback  the 
greater  part  of  the  afternoon.  He  was  then 
in  splendid  nerve  and  very  good  health,  and 
the  brave  little  man  sat  up  splendidly  in 
front  of  his  father,  and  was  not  in  the  least 
alarmed  even  when  gallopping  quite  fast. 

When  papa  was  tired,  the  gentlemen  of 
our  escort  kindly  took  the  child  upon  their 
horses  ;  and  by  sunset,  when  cold  drove  him 
reluctantly  back  to  the  waggon,  he  was  so 
comfortably  fatigued  that  he  fell  asleep  almost 
immediately,  and  did  not  awake  even  on  our 
arrival  at  Dry-bush.  (*'  Dreie-bosch"  perhaps 
I  ought  to  spell  it.)  The  hotel  here  was 
burnt  to  the  ground  a  few  weeks  afterwards 
during  the  war ;  and  in  the  destruction  of  the 
house,  also  perished  some  wall-paintings,  by 
the  artist  who  had  decorated  Heath's  place 
at  Hangman's  Bush. 


86       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

An  Old  Friend — A  New  Acquaintance — Cheery  little 
Komgha — Polyglot  Household  Brigade — The  Empress 
of  Delhi. 

We  went  through  a  similar  routine  to  that 
of  the  evening  before,  but  were  fortunate 
in  losing  nothing  during  the  night ;  and 
should  have  made  an  early  start  had  not  a 
regular  old-fashioned  Scotch  mist  delayed 
us. 

This  old  friend  (or  rather  old  foe),  gave  us 
a  "damp,  unpleasant"  reception,  and  reminded 
us  pretty  sharply  (old  friends  being  privileged 
to  tell  one  home-truths),  that  we  were  nearly 
3000  feet  above  the  sea. 

We  might  just  as  well  have  been  down  a 
coal-mine,  or  in  the  Thames  Tunnel,  for  aught 
we  could  see  of  the  landscape  ! 

Everything  was   covered  by  a  cloud,  and 


yourney  to  Komgha.  87 

looked  as  if  Dame  Nature  was  having  a  big 
washing-day. 

The  mist  detained  us  until  nearly  eleven 
o'clock ;  and  just  as  we  were  starting,  who 
should  appear  but  ourfriend  Captain  Robinson, 
who  rode  up  for  a  moment  to  inquire, 
"  Well,  Mrs.  Prichard ;  how  do  you  like  South 
African  travelling  now  ?  " — "  Very  much ;  not 
half  so  bad  as  I  expected,"  I  laughed. 
Whereat  he  shrugged  his  shoulders  :  "  Glad 
you  like  it;  " — and  rode  away  to  prepare  his 
servants  for  our  arrival  at  Komgha,  as  he  had 
kindly  invited  us  to  rest  that  night  at  his  house. 

The  morning  passed  slowly,  as  the  scenery 
waa  uninteresting;  flat,  and  with  hardly  a 
tree  or  bush  to  relieve  the  monotony. 

We  were  on  a  high  table-land  which 
stretched  away  for  miles  of  dreary  dulness, 
and  I  was  struck  by  the  almost  death-like  ap- 
pearance of  the  scene. 

It  was  rather  cold  too,  and  on  these  raw, 
chilly  days,  the  Kafirs  remain  as  much  in 
their  huts  as  possible,  and  you  may  travel 
many  miles  without  meeting  a  single  creature. 

Still,  I  rather  liked  the  monotony  for  once. 


88       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

as  tlie  road  was  comparatively  smootli  and 
even,  and  I  enjoyed  a  quiet  rest,  after  the  ups 
and  downs  of  tlie  previous  journey. 

About  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  sun 
began  to  shine  more  brightly ;  and  almost  at 
the  same  time  the  scene  changed.  Wagons 
and  horsemen  passed  us  on  the  road ;  groups 
of  Kafirs  were  to  be  seen  (some  in  semi- 
European  costume),  and  in  a  few  moments 
we  arrived  at  the  rising,  little,  frontier-town 
of  Komgha.  The  inhabitants  wisely  retain  the 
characteristic  name,  instead  of  calling  it  West 
London,  or  something  else  equally  absurd, 

I  could  hardly  look  about  much,  for  I  was 
hurriedly  attempting  to  give  a  few  civilizing 
touches  to  our  disordered  attire  before  we 
arrived  at  Captain  Robinson's  pretty  little 
house ;  which  was,  I  fear,  somewhat  dese- 
crated by  the  group  of  sun-burnt,  dusty 
travellers ;  who  however  received  a  most 
kindly  welcome  from  the  hospitable  owner, 
who  was  at  the  door  to  receive  us,  engaged  in 
giving  directions  to  his  domestics  to  minister 
to  our  comfort  in  every  possible  way. 

The  said  domestics  rather  interested  me. 


A  Cadet  I  89 

both  being  importations.  One  was  a  coolie 
from  India,  and  another  a  Creole  from  the 
Mauritius,  with  whom  his  master  conversed 
in  French. 

All  the  servants  were  most  obliging,  and 
did  their  very,  very  best  to  carry  out  their 
master's  directions.  They  gave  us  a  charm- 
ing little  diuner ;  and  I  well  remember  how 
I  enjoyed  using  the  dainty  old  china,  which 
was  such  a  contrast  to  the  tin  cups  and  plates 
of  the  day  before. 

After  dinner  we  did  our  duty  by  the  town 
as  new  arrivals,  by  going  out  for  a  walk ;  but 
we  could  not  find  the  streets,  and  the  houses 
seemed  so  far  iaway  from  each  other  that  they 
did  not  look  very  neighbourly.  However, 
Komgha  was  at  that  time  in  a  very  juvenile 
state  of  existence,  and  only  wanted  drilling ; 
for  when  I  revisited  the  place  about  fifteen 
months  after,  I  found  the  town  very  much 
improved,  and  far  more  compact-looking  than 
the  year  before. 

Our  shopping  was  tolerably  satisfactory. 
We  managed  to  procure  some  boots  for  poor 
little  Henry,  my  husband  insisting  upon  his 


90       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

being  provided  with  tlie  kind  usually  worn 
by  children  in  the  Transkei — dreadful  brown 
things,  with  brass  toes.  It  was  a  bit  of  a 
trial  to  encase  his  pretty  feet  in  these  clumsy- 
looking  concerns  ;  but  I  knew  my  husband 
was  right,  and  had  to  submit  to  circum- 
stances. 

Had  I  known  how  soon  our  communication 
with  the  colony  would  be  cut  off,  I  should 
have  made  many  more  purchases  ;  but  as  it 
was,  our  walk  was  soon  over,  and  after  un- 
packing and  tidying  the  wagon,  a  game  with 
the  children,  coffee,  and  photographs,  finished 
the  day. 

After  sunset  it  became  very  cold,  and  I 
was  glad  of  any  excuse  to  go  early  to  rest ; 
feeling  weary  and  anxious  to  be  ready  for 
the  next  day's  journey,  which  would  be  a. 
long  one. 

I  now  had  a  foretaste  of  some  of  our  after- 
experiences,  and  slept — or  tried  to  sleep-— 
for  the  first  time  in  my  life,  on  the  floor. 

It  seems  our  host  was  moving,  or  some- 

''  thing  of  that  sort,  and  had  just  sent  away  his 

larger  furniture,  bedsteads,  &c.     Fortunately 


A  Novel  Kind  of  Couch.  9 1 

there  was  one  for  the  children  and  nurse,  foT 
which  I  was  glad ;  but  I  was  equally  amused 
and  charmed  at  the  idea  of  sleeping  on  the 
floor — "  like  a  real  tin  soldier,"  as  my  little 
boy  said. 

It  was  really  very  comfortable,  and  I  should 
have  slept  well  enough  if  I  had  not  been  too 
tired  and  feverish  to  appreciate  the  very  warm 
kaross  which  covered  me.  The  bed  con- 
sisted of  a  small  mattress,  a  pillow,  and  this 
handsome  kaross  (white  fur  rug),  which  was  a 
sort  of  combination  affair — sheets,  blankets 
and  couvrette,  in  one. 

I  could  not  sleep,  but  I  was  quite  amused, 
and  rested  quietly,  looking  dreamily  at  the 
miscellaneous  collection  of  curios,  which 
made  the  room  quite  picturesque  in  the  half- 
light. 

If  I  had  not  a  very  feminine  sort  of  couch 
to  repose  upon,  I  had  at  least  a  lady's  equi- 
page to  wash  with,  for  I  had  the  honour  of 
using  a  golden  toilet-service  which  had  been 
the  property  of  the  Empress  of  Delhi ! !  Who 
this  lady  was  I  know  not ;  nor  do  I  vouch 
for  the  truth  of  the  story,  which  was  com- 


92       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

municated  to  me  with  great  ceremony  by  the 
coohe  himself! 

I  can  however,  vouch  for  the  beautiful 
Indian  workmanship,  which  charmed  me, 
though  I  confess  to  a  plebeian  preference  for 
china  or  marble  in  things  of  this  kind. 

I  became  bewildered  at  last,  looking  with 
half- closed  eyes  from  the  unwonted  elevation 
(is  it  an  elevation  ?)  of  the  floor,  and  must 
have  fallen  asleep — for  I  was  dreaming  that 
the  Empress  of  Delhi  was  scolding  me  fiercely 
for  daring  to  desecrate  her  grand,  gold  ser- 
vice— when  I  became  aware  that  candle-light 
had  given  place  to  cold,  grey  day-light,  and 
that  the  infuriated  Empress  of  my  dreams 
was  in  reality  the  coolie-servant,  who  was 
knocking  at  the  door  with  the  information 
that  my  "master"  (husband)  had  already 
taken  his  early  coffee,  and  that  I  must  drink 
mine  quickly,  as  he  wished  to  start  before 
breakfast. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Our  First  Early  Start — Descent  into  the  Kei  Valley — 
Tropical  Temperature  and  Foliage — Kei-Bridge  Works 
— Across  the  Frontier — Mrs.  Hahn's  Toilet-Vinegar — 
Our  first  meal  in  the  TranskeL 

We  really  did  get  off  early  to-day,  though 
not  without  breakfast;  and  the  air  was  keen 
and  bracing  when  we  started ;  but  before  long 
the  sunshine  warmed  us  so  genially  that  we 
began  to  lay  aside  our  wraps,  and  by  mid- 
day we  were  panting  in  a  tropical  tempera- 
ture, our  winter  clothing  almost  unbearable 
under  that  blazing  sun. 

We  were  now  descending  into  the  valley  of 
the  Great  Kei  River,  that  glorious  boundary 
between  Cape  Colony  and  the  Transkei ;  and 
I  felt  a  thrill  of  excitement  almost  amounting 
to  awe  when  I  was  informed  that  in  a  few 
more  hours  we  should  cross  the  frontier. 


94       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

A  solemn  silence  reigned  over  the  whole 
party — the  suffocating  atmosphere  depriving 
us  of  all  energy — and  the  wagon  descended 
the  steep  gradients  of  the  road  almost  as 
silently  and  heavily  as  if  we  were  all  sinking 
into  Avernus.  The  oxen  looked  as  sulky  as 
possible,  and  the  very  drivers  forbore  to 
"yak!" — the  frightful  noise  they  had  kept  up 
almost  incessantly,  by  way  of  stimulus  to  the 
pace  of  the  oxen. 

My  husband  and  his  escort  sat  their  horses 
as  silently  as  if  they  were  a  funeral  cortege^ 
and  I  think  I  was  the  only  member  of  the 
party  who  had  a  spark  of  animation  about 
me. 

I  can  claim  no  credit  for  superior  energy 
on  this  account ;  for  I  was  really  interested 
in  the  scenery,  and  eager  to  seize  every  picture 
before  it  was  gone. 

The  rather  narrow,  and  very  rugged  and 
rocky  road,  had  apparently  been  cut  out  of 
the  side  of  the  mountain ;  as  the  hill  rose  high 
on  one  side,  while  a  precipice  yawned  upon 
the  other. 

Tropical  foliage  adorned  the  mountain,  and 


Poetical-looking  Scenery.  95 

clothed  the  deep  ravines  with  beauty,  and  in 
the  distance  I  beheld  the  blue  mountains 
behind  which  lay  our  future  home. 

Little  did  I  guess  how  soon  we  should  have 
to  leave  that  home,  and  still  less  did  I  dream 
that  on  the  summit  of  one  of  those  beautiful 
hills  we  should  pitch  our  camp  for  months  ; 
while  another  point  in  the  landscape  would 
become  sacred  to  me  while  life  should  last, 
as  the  earthly  resting-place  of  the  fair-haired 
darling  whose  beautiful  eyes  were  now  look- 
ing at  me  so  lovingly— the  brave  little  hero 
bearing  so  patiently  the  heat  and  fatigue, 
and  never  adding  to  our  troubles  by  a  single 
cry. 

I  was  very  glad  for  his  sake  when  we 
arrived  at  the  bank  of  the  river,  as  we  should 
shortly  be  able  to  obtain  rest  and  refresh- 
ment. This  was  however,  only  to  be  pro- 
cured on  the  other  side,  so  we  had  to  cross  as 
well  as  we  could. 

Nurse  and  baby  preferred  remaining  in  the 
wagon,  and  jolted  over  without  any  accident, 
while  my  husband  carried  httle  Henry  across, 
and  I  followed  as  fast  as  I  could. 


96      Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

I  am  a  perfect  salamander, — have  worn 
winter  clothing  while  crossing  the  Line,  and 
have  never  been  heard  to  murmur  at  any 
amount  of  sunshine  except  on  this  occasion, 
when  I  must  say,  I  toiled  along,  feeling  as 
if  I  were  being  baked  in  an  oven  and  scorched 
at  a  furnace  at  the  same  time.  I  could 
hardly  drag  myself  across,  and  that  dreary 
space  which  had  to  be  traversed  before 
gaining  the  opposite  bank  seemed  simply 
interminable.  I  was  too  tired  to  care  to  look 
about  me  in  that  painful  glare ;  but  could  I 
have  done  so  the  scene  would  not  have  been 
devoid  of  interest,  especially  to  the  wife  of 
an  engineer. 

The  great  bridge  over  the  river  was  then 
in  course  of  construction,  under  the  able 
direction  of  Mr.  Newie,  O.E.,  and  at  any 
other  time  I  should  have  been  much  interested 
in  the  apparatus  connected  with  the  work, 
which  lay  about  the  bed  of  the  river  and 
surrounded  us  on  every  side.  As  it  was,  I 
had  enough  to  do  to  avoid  these  obstacles 
and  pick  my  way,  sometimes  over  bridges 
consisting    of    a    single     plank,    sometimes 


First  in-door  View  of  a  Kafir  Hut.     97 

springing  from  rock  to  rock,  and,  finally, 
clambering  up  a  very  steep  and  sandy  bank, 
which  felt  so  hot  that  one  could  hardly  walk 
over  it. 

A  few  minutes  afterwards  we  arrived  at 
the  hotel  kept  by  good  Mrs.  Hahn,  and  that 
worthy  dame  was  giving  us  the  brightest  of 
welcomes. 

I  now  stood,  for  the  first  time  in  my  life, 
inside  a  Kafir  hut,  for  at  that  time  this  was  all 
the  accommodation  Mrs.  Hahn  had  to  offer. 

It  was  very  large  and  well-constructed, 
made  of  the  usual  basket-work  and  mud,  and 
with  a  roof  of  thatch. 

The  ground-floor  was  divided  into  four 
compartments,  lighted  by  single  panes  of 
glass  let  into  the  sides  (about  the  si^ie  of  the 
scuttles  on  board  ship),  but  the  rooms  were 
rather  dark,  as  the  ceilings  were  very  low. 

Most  of  the  sunshine  came  through  the 
doors ;  one  at  each  end  of  a  narrow  passage 
which  divided  the  hut  from  east  to  west, 
which  good  arrangement  ensured  a  certain 
amount  of  light  and  heat  until  the  sun  ivent 
down. 

H 


98       Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

Every  traveller  will  know  that  our  one  cry 
was  "  Water,  water  !"  and  I  was  indeed  thank- 
ful to  take  the  dear  children  into  the  room 
provided,  and  with  nurse's  assistance  to  give 
them  a  thorough  washing.  That  accom- 
plished, the  poor  little  birds  dipped  their  beaks 
into  the  glasses  of  nice  milk  brought  them  by 
our  worthy  landlady — a  coloured  woman 
married  to  a  German. 

My  husband  had  often  sung  her  praises  to 
me,  and  we  were  better  prepared  to  be  very 
good  friends. 

She  insisted  upon  my  using  her  own  toilet- 
vinegar  to  bathe  my  poor  face,  which  was 
burnt  and  blistered  almost  beyond  recog- 
nition ;  telling  me,  she  "  owed  her  own 
complexion  entirely  to  its  constant  use." 

Considering  the  good  soul's  beaming  coun- 
tenance was  a  few  shades  darker  than  a  well- 
baked  cottage  loaf,  and  was  thickly  covered 
with  a  perfect  forest  of  freckles,  I  am  afraid 
this  announcement  did  not  produce  the  effect 
upon  me  which  it  was  intended  to  create. 
However,  I  contrived  to  look  happy,  and 
felt  really  grateful  for  its  cooling  influence, 


Monsieur  Rimmel.  99 

and  for  the  good-nature  which  made  my 
kind  hostess's  mulatto  face  bright  and  plea- 
sant to  look  upon,  in  spite  of  its  colour  and 
texture. 

On  looking  round  the  room  I  found  it  was 
adorned  in  every  direction  with  empUj  toilet- 
vinegar  bottles,  and  I  really  think  Monsieur 
Kimmel  would  have  felt  inchned  to  present 
the  good  woman  with  a  five-pound  note  on  the 
spot,  for  really  she  was  quite  an  advertising 
medium. 

Our  toilettes  completed,  we  now  adjourned 
to  the  best  parlour,  to  partake  of  a  rough  and 
ready  kind  of  meal,  for  which  our  hostess 
made  many  apologies  ;  our  escort  meanwhile 
getting  something  to  eat  in  another  room,  as 
they  would  not  hear  of  joining  us,  though  I 
begged  them  repeatedly  to  do  so.  I  hope  they 
fared  better  than  we  did,  for  I  cannot  say  the 
meal  was  very  appetizing. 

We  had  come  at  an  unlucky  moment ;  the 
bread  was  nearly  black,  and  so  intensely  sour, 
that  in  spite  of  being  very  hungry,  little  Harry 
and  I  could  not  force  it  down.  The  meat 
had  only  been  killed  on  our  arrival,  and  was 
H  2 


1 00     Ff  lends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

uneatable;  nothing  but  ducks'  eggs  was 
f ortlicoming ;  and  though.  I  did  try  one  of 
these,  it  was  a  failure,  without  decent  bread 
and  butter  to  take  off  the  richness. 

However,  the  tea  and  milk  were  simply  deli- 
cious, and  that  made  up  for  everything  !  I  be- 
thought me  of  our  own  stock  of  Huntley  and 
Palmer's  always  tempting  biscuits ;  procured 
them  from  the  wagon,  and  so  did  very  well. 

The  children  dipped  their  biscuits  into 
their  milk,  and  mine  went  very  well  with 
my  tea ;  while  Edward  ate  everything  with 
the  appetite  of  a  hunter,  and  I  sat  and  won- 
dered at  him,  until  I  remembered  that  he 
was  more  accustomed  to  frontier  fare  than 
I  was. 

So  ended  our  first  meal  in  the  Transkei. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Arrival  at  Toleni — An  Illumination — Mrs.  Gog  again 
comes  to  the  Rescue — Beauties  of  Climate  and  Scenery 
—''Enfamille:' 

Aftee  we  had  finished  our  biscuit  food  and 
paid  for  all  the  things  we  had  not  eaten,  we 
got  into  the  wagon,  and  were  glad  to  find  that 
we  were  again  to  climb  to  higher  ground.  All 
through  that  pleasant  afternoon  we  were  pass- 
ing through  beautiful  scenery,  and  greatly 
enjoyed  the  pure  air  of  the  highlands. 

About  an  hour  after  sunset  we  arrived  at 
Toleni,  and  as  I  dismounted  from  the  wagon 
I  beheld  a  most  beautiful  sight.  A  bush-fire 
was  raging  upon  the  distant  hills,  and  this 
always  brilliant  spectacle  was  on  this  occasion 
singularly  vivid. 

Two  distinct  lines  of  light   stretched  in 


I02     Fi'iends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

unbroken  regularity  riglit  across  tlie  horizon, 
and  one  could  almost  fancy  it  was  a  special 
illumination  prepared  for  some  welcome 
guest. 

Of  course  we  took  the  compliment  to  our- 
selves, and  accepted  it  as  a  good  omen  for  the 
future. 

I  might  rather  have  imagined  that  it  was 
an  augury  that  the  whole  country  would  soon 
be  in  the  flames  of  war;  but  fortunately  I 
could  not  foresee  the  angry  future,  and  went 
merrily  into  the  house,  resolved  to  consider 
this  a  welcome  home. 

We  were  at  first  told  that  the  "  wife  was 
away,"  that  "  the  servant  had  gone  home ;" 
and  so  many  difficulties  seemed  to  stand  in  the 
way  of  our  remaining,  that,  too  weary  and 
faint  to  argue  the  matter,  I  was  about  to 
submit  and  suggest  that  we  should  sleep  in 
the  wagon  and  have  some  supper  cooked  at  a 
camp  fire,  when  Mrs.  Gog  (for  the  second  time) 
came  to  the  rescue. 

I  don't  know  what  she  did,  for  I  was  left 
in  the  dark  with  the  children,  but  I  heard  her 
bustling   energetically    hither    and    thither ; 


Mrs.  Gog  proves  equal  to  the  Occasion.    103 

talking  Englisli,  Dutch,  and  Kafir,  all  at  the 
same  time,  and  rousing  up  the  whole  place 
with  her  life  and  energy. 

She  hunted  up  a  Kafir  woman,  and  soon 
the  two  were  laying  the  table  properly — Mrs. 
Gog  impressing  upon  the  girl  that  her  Missis 
was  a  lady  of  most  delicate  materials,  and 
a  personage  entitled  to  receive  the  utmost 
consideration  and  respect. 

In  deference  to  my  supposed  exalted  rank, 
the  poor  Kafir-woman  flew  about  like  one 
possessed,  and  soon  a  fairly  comfortable  meal 
was  prepared  in  the  dining-room,  while  a  hot 
bath  was  steaming  in  the  room  beyond ;  Mrs. 
Gog  taking  care  that  snowy  sheets  and  dainty 
pillow-cases  were  provided  for  "  her  Missis 
and  her  children." 

Tired  out,  we  could  not  eat  much,  but  we 
did  appreciate  the  comfortable  night's  rest 
we  all  enjoyed,  and  felt  quite  fresh  and  eager 
for  the  day's  adventures,  when  good  Mrs. 
Gog  appeared  next  morning  with  a  hot  cup 
of  coffee,  accompanied  by  the  roughly  given, 
but  kindly  meant  admonition,  to  drink  it  up 
at  once,  "  if  I  didn't  want  to  rattle  my  teeth 


r  04     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Tj^anskei. 

out  of  my  head  with  ague,  for  really  the 
morning  was  that  cold,  that  she  felt  half  froze 
herself."  She  further  assured  me  that  she 
had  taken  the  whole  menage  into  her  own 
hands ;  that  a  gorgeous  breakfast  was  already 
being  prepared ;  and  that  I  should  be  treated 
like  a  lady  "  as  long  as  her  name  was  Johanna 
Gog." 

There  was  no  resisting  this  climax !  I 
laughed  so  much  that  the  snowy  sheets  ran 
a  risk  of  imbibing  the  coffee  intended  for  me ; 
so  I  jumped  up,  whipped  my  good  Johanna 
out  of  the  room,  and  was  thankful  to  begin 
my  toilette  with  the  hot  water  my  "  treasure  " 
had  thoughtfully  brought  for  my  use. 

We  made  a  substantial  breakfast ;  and  it 
was  well  we  did  so,  as  we  had  a  lengthy  "  trek" 
in  store,  and  the  morning  air  was  so  fresh 
and  bracing  that  had  a  second  meal  been  in 
readiness,  I  verily  believe  we  could  have 
demolished  it  even  one  hour  after  starting. 

I  hope  I  shall  never  forget  that  hour ! 
ITevcr  since,  and  never  before,  have  I  so  fully 
realized  the  exquisite  ecstasy  of  the  mere  fact 
of  existence.     The  air    seemed  like  crystal, 


Bracing  Air  and  Atmosphere,  105 

and  had  a  most  exhilarating  effect  upon  one. 
The  sunshine  was  enchanting,  neither  too 
much  nor  too  httle;  and  the  scenery  was 
superb. 

A  hill  rose  before  us,  the  lovely  valley  of 
the  Kei  was  close  at  hand,  and  in  the  distance 
range  upon  range  of  glorious  hills  rolled 
grandly  along  the  horizon ;  while  the  stately 
Amatola  mountains  seemed  to  close  in  and 
reign  over  the  whole — kings  and  patriarchs 
in  one. 

Under  such  circumstances,  who  could 
remain  in  a  close,  stuffy  wagon  ? — Not  I,  at 
all  events. 

I  started  up  the  hill,  trying  to  walk  se- 
dately, as  became  a  sober  matron.  But  even 
walking  was  not  sufficient  exercise  in  such 
an  atmosphere.  I  fairly  danced  with  hap- 
piness ,  and  soon  my  husband  and  I  were 
racing  up  the  hill,  like  a  couple  of  children 
out  for  a  holiday,  while  little  Henry  clapped 
his  hands  for  joy,  and  nurse  laughed  in 
unison  from  the  depths  of  her  sun-bonnet. 

(I  must  beg  leave  to  state  that  our  escort 
were  all  out  of  sight,  having  been  sent  off  in 


1 06     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

different  directions ;  one  to  the  house  of  a 
missionary,  to  beg  kind  Mrs.  Ross  for  some 
milk ;  another  to  Colonel  Eustace,  with  a 
message  of  regret  at  being  compelled  to  de- 
cline Mrs.  Eustace's  most  kind  invitation  to 
visit  them  en  route ;  a  third  to  gallop  to 
Ibeka,  to  ask  Mrs.  Barnett  if  she  would  be 
good  enough  to  receive  us  for  that  night ; 
and  a  fourth  to  prepare  things  at  home  as 
much  as  possible  for  our  arrival.) 

So  we  were  quite  en  famiUe,  until  one  of 
our  cavaliers  met  us  near  Cunningham,  with 
two  bottles  of  milk  for  the  children,  and  a 
bouquet  of  roses  for  myself,  sent  by  good 
Mrs.  Ross,  to  whom  I  was  frequently  after- 
wards indebted  for  many  acts  of  considerate 
kindness. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

Bntterworth — The  Graces  in  Terra-Cotta — Native  Ladies' 
Dress — Ibeka — A  Hospitable  House — Breakfast — More 
new  Acquaintances — Farewell  to  Ibeka — The  Last 
Stage — Arrival  at  Idutywa  Reserve. 

We  halted  about  mid-day  at  Butterworth, 
whicli  looked  more  like  a  town  than  anything 
we  had  seen  since  leaving  Komgha.^ 

We  had  a  picnic  on  the  veldt,  just  far 
enough  from  the  houses  to  be  out  of  the  way. 
There  was  nothing  interesting  about  the 
place.  It  seemed  neither  town  nor  country, 
and  I  was  not  sorry  when  we  received  orders 
to  march. 

We  now  traversed  a  very  lonely  piece  of 
prairie,  and  I  did  begin  to  realize  that  we 
were  in  Kreli's  country ;  in  the  very  heart  of 
Gcalekaland, 

Occasionally  we  would  pass  Kafir  kraals, 
*  Pronounced  Koomka. 


io8     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

and  the  lean,  starved-looking  dogs  would  rush 
out  and  bark  at  us ;  but  I  do  not  remember 
meeting  a  human  creature  for  several  hours, 
during  which  we  did  not  even  see  a  herd  of 
cattle  or  a  flock  of  sheep. 

I  was  gazing  earnestly  at  everything, 
straining  my  eyes  for  my  first  glimpse  of 
Kafirs  beyond  the  Frontier ;  and  the  utter 
silence  and  intense  loneliness  of  the  scene 
were  beginning  to  exercise  almost  a  soporific 
influence  upon  me;  wben,  at  a  turn  of  the  road, 
a  trio  of  real  Kafir  belles  suddenly  appeared 
behind  the  wagon,  '*  apparently  starting  out 
of  the  ground"  (as  Lord  0.  would  say),  and 
looking  as  much  at  home  with  us  as  if  they 
had  formed  part  of  our  retinue  during  the 
entire  journey. 

As  I  could  not  speak  Kafir,  I  nodded, 
smiled,  and  kissed  my  hands  to  them,  at 
which  they  laughed  with  delight  like  children, 
and  apparently  said  something  pleasant  in 
reply. 

Feeling  we  had  established  something  like 
amicable  relations,  I  ventured  to  throw  a 
biscuit  to  one  of  them,  and  was  quite  touched 


As  Gefterous  as  Beautiful.  109 

when  I  saw  her  divide  it  into  three  equal 
portions,  and  hand  one  of  these  to  each  of 
her  sisters. 

Finding  they  received  my  overtures  so 
graciously,  I  amused  myself  throwing  biscuits 
and  pennies  at  them  as  long  as  I  had  any ; 
little  Henry  assisting  me,  chattering  away  to 
the  terra-cotta  ladies  as  sociably  as  possible. 

All  this  time  they  kept  up  with  the  wagon ; 
advancing  with  a  stately  tread  which  never 
hurried,  and  yet  got  over  the  ground  very 
rapidly. 

The  three  walked  in  the  most  affectionate 
manner,  with  their  arms  entwined  about  each 
other,  so  that  they  really  reminded  one  of 
the  group  of  the  Graces. 

So  far  as  beauty  was  concerned,  few  classi- 
cal figures  could  have  exceeded  their  grace. 
Their  hands,  feet,  and  ancles  were  all  most 
delicately  formed ;  and  their  oval  faces,  beau- 
i/ifuUy  shaped  heads,  and  glowing,  glorious 
eyes ;  made  one  forget  the  thick  noses  and 
lips  which  prevented  their  being  perfectly 
handsome  according  to  our  standard. 

They  really  were  good  types,  not  only  of 


no     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

tlie  best-looking  Kafir  women,  but  also  as 
specimens  of  native  dress. 

They  were  of  course  daubed  with  red 
oclire,  and  tlieir  dress  consisted  of  a  couple 
of  small  blankets,  coloured  to  match  their 
complexions. 

One  blanket  formed  the  tunic,  and  another 
the  shawl  or  pallium ;  the  latter  being  clasped 
by  an  enormous  brooch  on  one  shoulder,  and 
both  garments  hanging  in  rich  folds  about 
their  graceful  figures. 

These  blankets  were  further  adorned  with 
a  perfect  mass  of  embroidery,  consisting  of 
black  braid  and  white  buttons ;  arranged  in 
geometrical  patterns  with  great  skill  and 
taste. 

Round  their  necks  and  arms  they  wore 
various  chains  and  ornaments,  and  their  ears 
and  ancles  were  of  course  similarly  decorated ; 
but  I  am  happy  to  say  no  unsightly  nose-ring 
disfigured  their  countenances,  nor  do  I  think 
Kafir  women  ever  wear  them. 

We  parted  from  our  beauties  with  regret, 
and  I  was  quite  grateful  to  them  for  breaking 
the  monotony  of  the  journey,  whioh  was  not 


A  Kind  Reception.  i  r  i 

further  enlivened  by  any  attractive  incident, 
or  rendered  interesting  by  any  special  feature 
of  landscape  until  sunset. 

After  that,  of  course  we  could  see  no  more, 
and  I  was  not  sorry  when  my  husband  rode 
up  to  tell  me  we  should  arrive  in  a  few 
minutes  at  Mrs.  Barnett's  hospitable  house 
at  Ibeka. 

Mr.  Barnett  is  a  trader  "  of  credit  and 
renown,"  and  his  wife  is  much  liked  for  her 
gentle,  amiable  manner  and  hospitable  cha- 
racter. She  was  now  standing  outside  the 
door  to  welcome  us,  and,  giving  me  her  arm, 
assisted  me  most  tenderly  into  the  house,  as 
I  was  too  stiff  and  cramped  to  do  more  than 
totter  along.  The  children  were  carried  in 
fast  asleep,  and  dear  little  Henry's  slumber 
was  so  sweet  and  deep  that  all  the  bustle 
around  failed  to  awake  him. 

A  blazing  fire  was  burning  on  the  hearth, 
and  in  the  kind  faces  all  around  and  the  briofht 
smiles  which  greeted  us,  we  felt  the  true 
atmosphere  of  home. 

We  were  glad  to  sit  down  at  once  to  the 
comfortable   tea   provided   for   us,   and    did 


112     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

justice  to  the  delicious  bread  and  butter  which 
tasted  all  the  sweeter  from  comparison  with 
poor  Mrs.  Hahn's.  The  knowledge,  too, 
that  both  were  made  by  the  fair  fingers  of  the 
handsome  young  lady  who  was  good  enough 
to  wait  upon  us  (instead  of  summoning  their 
Kafir  servants),  did  not  tend  to  lessen  our 
enjoyment. 

WJijan  the  meal  was  over,  good  Mrs. 
Barnett,  in  compassion  at  my  weary  looks, 
offered  to  show  me  to  my  room  :  and,  tired  out 
with  the  fatigue  and  monotony  of  the  day, 
the  children,  nurse,  and  I,  were  soon  all  fast 
asleep. 

I  hope  my  husband  and  his  escort  fared  as 
well,  but  fear  the  wagon  must  have  proved  a 
scanty  shelter,  as  the  night  was  intensely  cold, 
and  ushered  in  a  most  miserable-looking  day. 

While  dressing  for  breakfast  I  heard  the 
sound  of  horses'  hoofs  outside,  and  a  clatter 
which  announced  the  arrival  of  additional 
guests. 

A  few  moments   after  my  husband  came 
to  tell  me  that  Major  Elliot  ^  had  just  arrived, 
»  Now  Major  Elliot,  C.M.G. 


Thoughts  of  Home.  113 

with  one  of  the  sons  of  Colonel  Eustace ; 
bringing  kind  messages  from  Mrs.  Eustace, 
on  the  chance  of  meeting  us  here. 

The  whole  party  now  assembled  for  break- 
fast, but  I  was  glad  when  it  was  over,  as 
poor  Mrs.  Barnett  was  perfectly  besieged 
by  applications  for  tea  and  coffee,  and  I 
do  not  believe  she  had  a  single  mouthful  her- 
self, as  a  baby  sat  upon  her  lap  the  whole 
time. 

I  fervently  hoped  a  time  would  come  in 
which  I  should  be  able  to  return  her  kindness, 
and  little  knew  how  soon  that  opportunity 
would  arise,  still  less  that  my  pleasure  at 
receiving  her  would  be  saddened  by  the  fact 
that  she  and  her  family  came  to  us  as  refugees, 
and  that  heavy  sorrow  and  anxiety  would 
sorely  dim  the  visit  tliey  would  pay  to  the 
Idutywa  Reserve,  our  little  home  in  the 
Transkei. 

To  that  unknown  home  my  thoughts  now 
eagerly  wandered,  for  only  one  more  stage 
now  intervened  between  us  and  Idutywa,  and 
I  was  impatient  to  be  off. 

I  looked  out  from  the  door  to  see  what 


114     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

kind  of  place  we  were  in,  but  "  drizzling  rain 
did  fall,"  and  a  chilly  mist  enveloped  every- 
thing. 

How  little  did  any  of  us  guess  how  soon 
that  dreary  table-land  would  be  covered  with 
tents ;  that  the  stir  and  bustle  of  a  military 
camp  would  animate  dull  Ibeka ;  and  that  the 
heroes  of  Isandlhana  would  be  frequent  guests 
at  Mrs.  Barnett's  hospitable  dwelling;  doubt- 
less appreciating  the  very  pretty  and  pleasant 
Miss  G — s  as  a  welcome  "  douceur  "  in  the 
midst  of  their  monotonous  life. 

"Eoses  of  the  "Wilderness,"  I  called  them; 
and  I  trust,  roses  not  born  "  to  waste  their 
sweetness  on  the  desert  air." 

But  we  must  now  bid  adieu  to  our  kind 
hosts  ;  for  a  weary  trek  awaits  us  before  we 
can  reach  home;  and  it  is  Sunday  morning, 
and  we  do  not  wish  to  delay  the  family  prayers 
which  are  awaiting  our  departure.  Major 
Elliot  and  young  Mr.  Eustace  left  at  the 
same  time,  and  soon  we  say  farewell  to  hos- 
pitable Ibeka. 

«  *  «  «  « 

I  remember  nothing  about  the  last  stage 


A  Dreary  yourney.  115 

of  our  journej,  except  the  bitter  weather 
and  the  lonely,  dreary  appearance  of  every- 
thing. 

The  cold  was  such  a  contrast  to  the  warmth 
of  the  preceding  days,  that  we  felt  it  all 
the  more,  and  I  shivered  with  ague,  while 
the  children  "  coughed  and  snoze  "  (as  poor 
Henry  said),  and  wished  the  weary  journey 
over. 

We  could  not  venture  to  halt  and  make  a 
cup  of  tea  to  warm  us,  as  the  oxen  were 
so  exhausted  that  the  only  chance  of 
their  taking  us  safely  home,  was  never  to 
allow  them  to  stop.  One  poor  animal  had 
already  died,  and  the  others  toiled  sullenly 
along,  looking  as  miserable  as  everything 
around. 

We  found  biscuits  very  cold  comfort,  but  I 
kept  up  my  spirits  by  the  thought  that  Mrs. 
Gumming  would  be  certain  to  have  a  blazing 
fire  and  hot  meal  ready  for  us  at  the  end  of 
our  journey,  as  we  had  taken  the  precaution 
of  despatching  an  orderly  to  tell  that  lady  at 
what  hour  we  might  confidently  be  expected 
to  arrive. 

I  2 


1 1 6     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei, 

As  we  toiled  along  a  wretched  road,  my 
husband  eagerly  begged  me  to  "  look  out," 
as  we  should  see  our  home  in  a  moment. 

Of  course  I  strained  my  eyes  in  the  direc- 
tion indicated,  but  could  detect  nothing  like 
a  house. 

Presently  I  saw  what  at  first  I  supposed  to 
be  some  rough  kind  of  fortification,  but 
which  was  in  reality  the  sod  wall  surround- 
ing the  garden  of  the  magistrate ;  the 
house  itself  appearing  as  we  mounted  to 
higher  ground,  and  some  other  roof  being 
dimly  discernible,  which  Edward  said  was  that 
of  our  own  little  abode. 

Mr.  Cumming's  residence  was  well  built 
and  a  fair  size,  but  looked  cold  and  dreary  on 
that  bleak  winter  afternoon,  and  the  whole 
aspect  of  the  place  was  most  forlorn  and 
miserable. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Household  affairs — Kafir  domestics — The  Vicar  of  Wake- 
field— First  sight  of  Home. 

No  words  can  describe  how  my  heart  sank 
within  me  at  the  prospect  of  mouldering  away 
my  existence  in  this  frightful  solitude  ! 

A  dreary  vista  of  years  unmarked  by  any 
change,  and  of  days  passed  in  one  monotonous 
round  of  never-ending  duty,  rose  before  me, 
while  at  a  glance  I  seemed  to  recall  the  happy 
years  spent  in  my  father's  home ;  the  ever- 
varying  society  gathered  at  almost  every  meal 
about  his  generous  table  ;  the  gay  and  loving 
family  circle,  full  of  youth  and  animation  ;  the 
beautiful  mother,  with  her  aristocratic  air  and 
charming  manner,  and  the  father,  whose  wit 
and  spirits  never  flagged ;  all  these  rose  be- 
fore me.  Why  had  I  been  given  this  love 
of    music,    this   passion  for    everything    re- 


I20     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

As  soon  as  breakfast  and  prayers  were 
over,  I  was  up  to  my  eyes  in  business.  The 
first  thing  I  had  to  do  was  to  engage  a 
washerwoman  ("  laundress  "  I  cannot  by  any 
possible  stretch  of  politeness  venture  to  call 
her) ;  secondly,  to  engage  a  couple  of  Kafir 
girls  to  assist  Mrs.  Gog  in  the  housework ; 
and  it  was  quite  ten  o'clock  before  I  could  go 
and  have  a  peep  at  our  house,  which  I  was  of 
course  dying  to  see. 

At  this  moment  I  caught  sight  of  a  Kafir 
dancing  in  the  verandah  as  if  he  had  taken 
leave  of  his  senses. 

On  inquiring  the  cause  of  this  performance 
I  was  told  that  he  was  an  animated  mangle, 
and  was  ironing  the  table  and  bed  linen  which 
had  just  come  from  the  wash  ! ! 

Imagine  my  dismay,  fair  readers,  when  I 
was  told  our  clothes  would  simply  be  rough- 
dried  at  the  river,  and  that  there  was  not 
a  creature  who  could  starch  or  iron  in  the 
Avhole  country !  ^ 

Mrs.  Gog  now  reassured  me  by  promising 
that  if  she  might  be  invested  with  full  autho- 
*  I  afterwards  found  this  was  quite  a  mistake. 


An  Animated  Scene.  121 

rity  and  responsibility,  sbe  would  undertake 
to  get  laundrj-work,  baking,  and  everything 
else  done  without  any  serious  trouble  to 
myself.  I  willingly  acceded  to  this  request, 
and  the  machinery  of  our  little  household 
worked  smoothly  and  merrily  until  stopped 
and  broken  by  the  destroying  angel  of  war. 

These  arrangements  and  engagements 
having  all  been  satisfactorily  completed,  I  put 
on  my  hat  and  dashed  off  to  see  our  new 
home. 

As  soon  as  I  had  passed  through  the 
garden  gate,  I  found  myself  in  the  midst  of 
a  most  animated  scene.  The  sunshine  seemed 
to  enliven  everybody,  and  all  were  at  work 
with  a  will. 

Two  distinct  caravans  were  engaged,  one 
in  removing  furniture,  &c.,  from  our  house, 
the  other  in  taking  our  possessions  towards 
it.  Groups  of  Kafirs,  from  neighbouring 
kraals,  gathered  round  in  interest  and  curio- 
sity, and  I  confess  to  a  feeling  of  anxiety  as 
to  the  safety  of  our  property,  which  was 
being  unpacked  on  the  open  veldt.  However, 
my   husband   assured   me    I   need  have   no 


12  2     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

apprehensions ;  nor  did  we  lose  anything  of 
value. 

Edward  now  told  me,  that  in  spite  of  the 
precautions  we  had  taken  to  purchase  a  small 
amount  of  furniture,  he  feared  we  had  too 
much,  and  that  it  would  be  simply  impossible 
to  stow  everything  away. 

I  was  myself  reminded  of  the  Yicar  of 
Wakefield's  famous  family  picture,  when  I 
looked  at  the  tiny  cottage,  which  was  smaller 
than  my  utmost  imagination  had  pictured  it ; 
but  I  had  faith  in  the  good  genius  of  order, 
and  felt  certain  I  should  find  a  place  for 
everything  in  time. 

The  little  cabin  contained  six  rooms :  a 
kitchen,  a  dining-room,  two  bedrooms,  and 
two  very  miniature  "  stoep-rooms,"  as  they 
are  called  at  the  Cape.  (Small  rooms  stolen 
out  of  each  end  of  the  verandah.) 

We  fitted  up  one  of  these  as  a  store-room, 
and  the  other  made  a  tiny  spare  room ;  very 
convenient  for  gentlemen,  as  it  was  entered 
from  the  stoep  (verandah),  and  had  no  com- 
munication with  any  other  room  in  the 
house. 


Patience  is  Necessary.  1 2  3 

I  was  delighted  to  get  home,  and  anxious 
to  take  possession  that  night,  if  possible,  but 
innumerable  difficulties  presented  themselves 
to  baffle  this  hope  in  every  direction. 


124     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Missionaries  —  Politics  —  Prayers  —  An  Authority  upon 
Native  Affairs — Dutch  Farmers — Fee-Fo-Fum — An 
agreeable  change  of  guests — Five  days  of  Peace  in  our 
new-found  Home — The  Lull  before  the  Storm. 

However,  these  difficulties  were  overcome  at 
last,  and  my  husband  and  T  had  the  pleasure 
of  receiving  our  children  at  home  on  the 
Friday ;  having  gone  there  ourselves  the  pre- 
vious day.  Until  then  we  remained  at  the 
magistrate's,  and  were,  I  fear,  compelled  to 
treat  our  hosts  rather  cavalierly  ;  as  we  were 
obliged  to  devote  the  greater  part  of  each 
day  to  the  arrangement  of  our  own  house, 
feeling  anxious  to  relieve  Mrs.  Gumming  of 
our  presence  as  rapidly  as  possible.  This 
lady  had  other  guests  in  the  house,  and  I  had 
not  yet  had  time  to  think  the  Transkei  dull. 
On  the  Monday  two  missionaries  arrived 


Interesting  Guests.  125 

at  tea-time,  and  as  I  had  never  in  my  life 
before  even  spoken  to  one,  I  was  anxious  to 
see  what  they  would  do,  and  hear  what  they 
had  to  say. 

They  were  dressed  with  scrupulous  care  in 
clerical  black,  and  I  thought  must  have  very^ 
good  wives,  for  I'm  sure  no  one  at  home  could 
get  up  shirt-fronts  more  irreproachably. 

Politics  and  prayers  occupied  the  evening ! 
I  rather  liked  those  missionaries  after  all, 
and  yet — and  yet — .  No,  Mrs.  Prichard,  be 
charitable  and  go  to  sleep,  and  depend  upon 
it,  you  will  like  them  better  in  the  morning. 

They  departed,  however,  directly  after  (not 
before)  breakfast,  but  returned  on  the  follow- 
ing evening,  another  gentleman  also  joining 
us  at  supper. 

The  latter  was  a  well-known  magistrate ; 
a  very  eloquent  man,  thoroughly  up  in  Kafir 
politics  and  affairs.  We  had  a  most  interest- 
ing evening,  and  I  was  astonished  to  find  this 
gentleman  seemed  as  well  versed  in  all  the 
ramifications  of  Kafir  kindred  as  we  should 
be  about  our  own.  I  wondered  if  I  should 
ever  bo  equally  learned,  and  able  to  distin- 


126     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

guish  one  black  face  from  another.  Mean- 
while I  found  my  own  domestics  quite 
bewildering  enough,  and  concluded  to  solve 
the  problem  of  household  affairs,  before 
venturing  into  the  wider  field  of  political 
economy. 

These  guests  were  all  pleasant  enough, 
but  the  following  evening  I  had  the  honour 
of  sitting  at  the  table  with  a  couple  of  Dutch 
farmers,  who,  judging  from  their  manner 
and  appearance,  must  have  come  from  very 
up-country  indeed ! 

They  had  lost  their  horses,  and  were  in  a 
state  of  great  excitement,  describing  their 
sorrows  to  the  magistrate  in  such  a  graphic 
way  that  it  was  quite  easy  to  follow  the  thread 
of  their  story  by  the  help  of  one's  distant 
remembrance  of  German. 

They  made  such  noises  over  their  food ! — 
eating  and  drinking  like  ogres.  I  felt  almost 
frightened  once  or  twice  of  being  "  bolted  "  by 
way  of  a  honne-bouche  at  the  close  of  the 
meal,  and  was  glad  my  husband  was  there  to 
protect  me. 

My  private  opinion  is,  that  they  were  the 


A  cosy  "  Petit  Souper."  127 

lineal  descendants  of  tlie  great  Fee-Fo-Fiim  ! 
and  that  had  not  the  magistrate  plied  them 
incessantly  with  provisions  of  a  solid  and 
satisfying  nature,  they  would  have  chopped 
us  all  into  mincemeat ! 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  meal  I  was 
thankful  to  make  my  escape,  and  Edward  and 
I  took  up  our  quarters  for  the  first  time  in 
our  own  home,  sitting  up  late  for  a  cosy 
little  supper,  which  we  had  great  fun  in 
preparing  ourselves  (as  no  servants  were  yet 
in  the  house),  and  which  we  thoroughly 
enjoyed  after  the  carpentering  and  uphol- 
stery upon  which  we  had  been  engaged  all  the 
evening. 

The  next  visitors  who  arrived  at  Idutywa, 
were  Colonel  Eustace  and  Major  ElUot,  who 
appeared  the  following  day.  We  were  still 
somewhat  in  a  state  of  chaos,  and  I'm  not 
quite  sure  if  we  were  able  to  supply  them 
with  chairs  ;  however,  I  remember  there  was 
a  table  in  the  room,  round  which  we  gathered 
and  looked  at  photographs,  but  whether  we 
sat  upon  boxes,  or  on  the  floor.  Oriental 
fashion,  I'm  sure  I  don't  know. 


128      Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

These  visitors  departed  next  morning,  and 
we  enjoyed  a  quiet  Sunday,  followed  by 
four  equally  peaceful  days ;  which  however, 
proved  to  be — only  the  lull  before  the  storm  ! 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

The  Harbinger  of  the  Storm — Doctor  S. — A  Free  Fight — 
Increasing  Anxiety — A  Quiet  Week — A  "  Claimant  " 
for  Mrs.  Gog — A  Jamaica  Negro's  ideal  of  a  "  Perfect 
Gentleman !  " 

On  Friday,  the  10th  August,  our  little  house- 
hold was  apparently  in  a  state  of  security ; 
settled  down  into  a  routine  which  might 
have  endured  for  years,  and  certainly  never 
dreaming  that  we  were  already  on  the  brink 
of  a  volcano  ;  sitting  beside  a  mine  ready  to 
explode  at  any  moment ;  and  that  even  now 
the  harbinger  of  the  storm  was  on  his  way 
to  warn  us  of  approaching  danger. 

My  husband  and  I  were  just  congratu- 
lating ourselves  upon  the  comfortable  appear- 
ance of  everything  around,  when  a  gentle 
tap  tap  upon  the  door  announced  a  visitor. 

I  was    soon   shaking   hands  with  a  lively 

K 


1 30     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

little  man,  possessed  of  a  cheery  voice 
and  genial  manner,  who  was  called  Doctor 
S . 

We  begged  our  friend  to  sit  down,  but  lie 
was  in  such  a  state  of  excitement  that  it  was 
some  time  before  we  could  induce  him  to 
do  so. 

I  brought  him  a  cup  of  tea,  and  Mrs.  Gog 
appeared  with  other  beverages ;  but  he  would 
touch  neither  until  he  had  told  us  his  grand 
piece  of  intelligence. 

Shorn  of  the  terrors  with  which  the  worthy 
doctor  invested  it,  the  facts  amounted  to 
this  :  a  quarrel  between  some  Fingoes  and 
Gcalekas  had  ended  in  a  "  free  fight,"  which 
had  seriously  disturbed  the  equanimity  of  the 
surrounding  district. 

Of  course  it  was  not  pleasant  to  know  that 
people  were  killing  each  other  within  a  few 
miles  of  us,  and  I  involuntarily  clasped  baby 
a  little  closer  in  my  arms  as  I  listened ;  but 
at  the  same  time  we  were  not  going  to  make 
our  new-found  home  miserable  about  such 
an  apparent  trifle,  and  fear  we  must  plead 
guilty  to  "  chaflBng  "  the  doctor  rather  unmer- 


More  Rumours  of  War.  131 

cifully  about  the  perils   lie   might   have   to 
encounter  during  his  ride  home. 

I  must,  however,  confess  to  sHght  qualms 
when  this  Job's  comforter  had  departed; 
especially  when  I  reflected  that  on  the  fol- 
lowing Monday  my  husband  would  leave 
home  for  an  official  tour,  and  I  could  not 
help  hoping  the  opposing  forces  would  be 
polite  enough  to  suspend  hostilities  until  his 
return. 

I  am  happy  to  say  this  was  the  case,  and 
everything  went  on  quietly  until  Sunday, 
the  19th  instant,  when  accounts  of  more 
serious  disturbances  were  brought  to  the 
magistrate  by  a  German  trader.  My  husband 
had  however,  returned  by  this  time,  and  I 
was  so  thankful  for  that  blessing,  that  I  did 
not  allow  myself  to  be  worried  by  any  bad 
news,  and  our  household  at  any  rate  main- 
tained its  usual  routine  and  regularity. 

This  continued  for  one  more  happy, 
and  too  short  week,  which  slipped  quickly 
away ;  marked  by  no  special  incident  except 
the  appearance  of  a  sweetheart  for  Mrs. 
Gog  I 

K  2 


132     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

This  interesting  arrival  rejoiced  in  tbe  name 
of  Budge, — Billy  Budge  ! 

Never  shall  I  forget  that  name  !  for,  from 
he  time  that  provoking  man  first  invaded 
the  haven  of  our  home,  its  serenity  departed, 
and  I  had  the  privilege  henceforth  of  study- 
ing my — I  beg  pardon — Billy's  Johanna,  in 
the  unexpected  light  of  romance. 

One  Saturday  evening  Mrs.  Gog  appeared, 
all  giggles — stay,  that  doesn't  sound  pretty 
— all  smiles  and  blushes,  anxious  for  my  ever- 
ready  sympathy,  and  dying  to  tell  me  what 
had  occurred. 

I  soon  gathered  that  Mr.  William  Budge 
had  been  a  friend  of  the  departed  Mr.  Gog, 
who  had  been  kind  enough  to  retire  many 
years  since  from  this  mundane  scene,  which 
ho  had  persisted  in  regarding  solely  from  a 
festive  point  of  view. 

After  living  entirely  upon  his  (then  young), 
wife's  earnings  for  years,  he  had  drunk  him- 
self gracefully — (disgracefully  I  should  say) — 
into  the  grave  ;  having  led  the  life  of  "  a  per- 
fect gentleman,  doing  nothing  but  eat,  drink 
and  sleep  all  day  !" 


A  Long  Engagement  Preferred  I       133 

This  was  a  verdict  pronounced  upon  some 
similar  character  by  a  servant  of  ours  in  the 
West  Indies ;  but  I  must  say  I  could  not 
endorse  the  eulogium,  as  I  did  not  consider 
the  individual  mentioned,  worthy  of  even  the 
last  syllable  of  that  much  abused,  but  never- 
theless honourable  title,  of  gentleman. 

I  was  pleased  to  hear  a  kind  friend  had 
appeared  to  take  an  interest  in  the  widow, 
but  may  be  excused  for  cherishing  a  secret 
hope  that  the  courtship  might  be  of  some- 
what a  protracted  nature ! 


1 34     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Sermon  to  Eavens — "  Coming  events  cast  their  Shadows 
before" — Arrival  of  the  first  Refugee — Edgar  Allen  Poe 
— A  hopeless  case — Menage  a  la  Guerre. 

I  WAS  quite  interested  in  this  little  bit  of 
romance ;  but  now  Cupid  must  fly  away  and 
give  place  to  Mars,  who  will  be  the  presiding 
genius  of  the  whole  following  week. 

Monday,  the  27th  August,  dawned  bright 
and  clear ;  but  "  before  the  dews  of  morn  had 
fled"  darkness  had  gathered  over  our  horizon, 
and  in  the  gloomy  distance  loomed  the  first 
dull  thunder-clouds  of  war. 

One  might  have  thought  that  missionaries  ; 
apostles  of  faith  and  love,  and  soldiers  of 
Christ,  would  be  (at  any  rate  next  in  order  to 
the  earthly  soldier),  the  very  last  to  abandon 
their  position  :  the  first  to  rely  upon  the  good 
faith  of  black  neighbours  among  whom  they 


A  Sermon  to  Skip  !  135 

had  lived  for  years,  and  the  foremost  in 
courage ;  knowing  that  even  if  their  lives  were 
sacrificed,  it  would  be  at  no  unworthy  shrine, 
— and  that  one  or  two  examples  of  heroism 
and  loyalty  would  do  more  to  increase  the 
Kafir's  faith  in  our  greatness  as  a  nation  than 
reams  upon  reams  of  sermons  and  tall  talk. 

One  might  even  have  ventured  to  suppose 
that  for  the  sake  of  righteous  influence  upon 
the  morale  of  the  poor  white  Christians 
around  them,  they  would  convert  each  mis- 
sion-station into  a  rally  in  g-point  and  centre, 
where  every  timid  nature  would  seek  comfort 
and  courage ;  where  the  warriors  should  be 
prayed  for,  the  wounded  nursed,  the  women 
encouraged,  and  the  children  fed ;  so  that, 
come  what  might,  their  Kafir  converts  should 
say,  We  Christians  were  soldiers  indeed, 
and  willing  to  die  for  Him  who  had  so  will- 
ingly died  for  us. 

Alas  !  alas !  I  dip  my  pen  in  tears,  and 
those  tears  of  shame  and  sorrow,  as  I  recall 
how  little  loyalty,  either  to  heaven  or  man, 
was  exhibited  at  this  juncture. 

Verily    war   is    a   crucible    which  brings 


136     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

■all  the  dross  to  tlie  surface,  and  only  the 
purest  gold  can  bear  the  test,  and  emerge, 
brighter  and  nobler,  for  the  trial.  Under 
that  fiery  ordeal  the  worst  and  the  best  pas- 
sions in  our  nature  seem  to  rise  in  unre- 
strained energy,  and  only  prayerful  trust  in 
One  mightier  than  ourselves  can  nerve  the 
heart  and  calm  the  brain  in  that  fierce  con- 
flict. The  conventionalities  of  ordinary  life 
are  put  aside  for  the  time,  and  you  see  each 
character  to  the  very  core.  Appalled,  you 
shudder  at  some  painful  revelations;  but 
on  the  other  hand,  you  will  see  those 
who  under  ordinary  circumstances  modestly 
conceal  the  worth  and  courage  of  their 
nature,  quietly  come  forward,  and  with- 
out a  thought  of  themselves,  act  as  the  true 
and  noble  heroes  all  are  capable  of  becoming, 
if  they  will  but  obey  the  impulse  of  the 
Divine  nature,  which  is  the  glorious  heritage 
of  man. 

But  my  mission  is  to  sew,  not  to  preach ; 
and  while  I  am  engaged  in  this  peaceful 
occupation,  sitting  on  a  low  chair  in  our 
pretty  verandah,  I  become  suddenly  aware  of 


Waste  of  Time  !  137 

a  shade  on  the  ground  before  my  feet.  At  the 
same  time  a  would-be-bland  voice  is  inquiring 
if  I  am  "  Mistress  Prichard,"  and  if  my  "  good 
man  is  within." 

I  was  about  to  answer  in  the  affirmative, 
when  I  remembered  my  husband  had  warned 
me  of  the  expected  arrival  of  a  missionary, 
famous  for  his  very  long  tongue,  and  very 
small  talk ;  and  knowing  Edward  was  hard 
at  work,  I  was  Scotchman  enough  to  reply 
by  asking  the  name  of  my  interrogator.^ 

As  this  corresponded  with  that  of  the  in- 
dividual mentioned  above,  I  thought  the 
kindest  thing  I  could  do  was  to  keep  him 
away  from  Edward  as  long  as  possible. 

All  my  efforts  were,  however,  in  vain ;  and 
after  exhausting  every  blandishment  in  my 
power,  I  had  the  mortification  of  seeing  my 
friend  depart  to  the  office-tent,  to  give  the 
busy  engineer  the  benefit  of  all  the  horrors 
he  had  been  inflicting  upon  me. 

As  I  sat  and  stitched  and  listened  in 
amusement,  (if  not  in  interest) ^  to  the  poor 

'  Is  there  such  a  word  in  the  dictionary  ?  If  there  is 
not,  there  "  oughter,"  so  I  do  not  withdraw  it. 


138     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkti. 

man,  I  could  not  help  mentally  comparing 
him  to  Edgar  Allen  Poe's  immortal  Raven ; 
for  "  never-more "  seemed  to  echo  at  the 
conclusion  of  every  sentence,  and  his  lamen- 
tations were  worthy  of  a  Jeremiah. 

In  vain  I  attempted  to  cheer  him,  or  inspire 
him  with  an  atom  of  courage.  He  evidently 
thought  there  was  not  the  slightest  charm 
in  civil  war,  unless  we  all  enjoyed  ourselves 
thoroughly,  by  making  everybody  else  as 
miserable  as  possible ! 

I  listened  politely  as  long  as  I  could,  but 
at  last  my  risible  faculties  were  too  much 
for  me  ;  and  when  we  arrived  at  the  utmost 
pitch  of  horror,  and  attained  the  most 
thrilling  point  in  the  narrative,  I  could  no 
longer  maintain  my  gravity,  and  peal  after 
peal  of  laughter  rang  upon  the  clear  morning 
air. 

I  thought  it  quite  sufficient  to  face  these 
horrors  quietly  when  they  came,  and  did  not 
feel  it  my  duty  to  advance  nine-tenths  of  the 
way  to  meet  them ; — so  finding  his  eloquence 
wasted,  the  unhappy  E-aven  retired,  evidently 
looking  upon  me  as  a  hopeless  case  ! 


Ag07iy  Point  I  139 

I  now  gathered  up  my  work,  and  summon- 
ing Johanna,  gave  her  sundry  directions  with 
regard  to  dinner,  &c. 

These  directions  had  to  be  of  a  somewhat 
vague  and  elastic  nature.  1  had  heard  that 
refugees  were  pouring  into  the  "  Reserve " 
from  every  point  of  the  compass,  and  had 
therefore  to  instruct  Mrs.  Gog  to  be  ready 
for  any  emergency ;  to  purchase  everything 
that  was  brought  to  the  door,  and  to  be 
prepared  to  accommodate  the  greatest  number 
of  guests  we  could  possibly  manage  to  stow 
away. 

I  had  hardly  finished  giving  these  direc- 
tions when  various  visitors  arrived.  Several 
gentlemen  dined  with  us,  and  each  vied  with 
the  other  in  piling  up  the  agony  as  high  as 
possible. 

Each  had  just  come  through  hair-breadth 
escapes  of  the  most  harrowing  interest  and 
dangerous  nature ;  and  I  tried  hard  to  be  a 
gentle  Desdemona,  and  sympathize  with  our 
heroes. 

As  these  Othellos  had  however,  chiefly 
achieved  distinction  in  that  discretion  which 


1 40     J^riends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

is  tlie  better  part  (?)  of  valour,  and  as  their 
appetites  seemed  rather  increased  than 
diminished  by  the  peril  which  surrounded  us, 
I  thought  practical  rather  than  romantic 
sympathy  would  be  the  best  thing  to  offer  ! 

They  found  the  cup  of  consolation  in 
copious  draughts  of  Bass's  ale,  and  by  the 
time  some  fritters  (for  which  Mrs.  Gog  was 
particularly  celebrated)  had  arrived,  our 
friends  had  wisely  resolved  to  banish  our 
anxieties  for  awhile,  and  enjoy  the  sunshine 
of  to-day  without  overclouding  it  by  the 
shadow  of  to-morrow ! 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

A  Courageous  Trader — Cabinet  Council — Another  Pause 
before  the  Storm — Sunday  at  Idutywa — Changed 
Demeanour  of  Kafirs  —  Telegraph  Camp  —  An 
amusing  mistake— Our  last  Sunday  at  home — Visit  of 
Gangelizwe — Another  mistake  ;  more  awkward  than 
amxising — "  Music  hath  charms,"  &c. — A  Kafir  chief's 
ideal  of  Queen  Victoria. 

Next  day,  more  refugees  arrived;  among 
them  the  Barnett  family  from  Ibeka  with 
the  exception  of  Mr.  Barnett  himself,  who 
courageously  remained  at  home  to  defend 
his  property,  relying  valiantly  upon  the  good 
faith  of  his  Kafir  neighbours,  in  which  he 
was  not  disappointed ! 

I  now  began  to  feel  our  house  sadly  too 
small,  and  the  table  arrangements  quite  in- 
adequate to  these  new  claims. 

However,  I  retired  to  my  room,  and  locking 


142     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

the  door,  held  on  to  my  head  with  both 
hands  until  I  had  evolved  a  plan  which 
promised  to  meet  the  difficulties  of  the 
situation. 

I  then  departed  to  the  dining-room ;  sum- 
moned the  united  forces  of  the  establishment, 
and  ordered  the  crimson  carpet  (laid  down  so 
carefull}'-  only  a  few  days  before),  to  be  taken 
up  again  and  removed  altogether.  I  then 
took  away  all  the  books  and  ornaments 
which  were  most  dear  to  me,  and  banished 
the  pretty  round  table  to  my  own  room. 

I  now  sent  for  the  largest  tables  in  the 
house,  and  fitted  them  together  into  one 
great,  square  table,  which  almost  occupied 
the  entire  room.  All  this  completely  destroyed 
the  beauty  and  symmetry  of  the  house ;  but 
this  was  the  time  to  think  of  others,  not  of 
ourselves;  and  we  were  grateful  at  being 
permitted  the  privilege  of  helping  those  in 
distress. 

I  now  directed  the  table  to  be  kept  always 
ready  for  sixteen  people,  and  ordered  plenty 
of  cold  provisions  to  be  at  hand,  so  that  some- 
thing could  be  offered  at  a  moment's  notice 


Commissariat,  &c.  143 

to  any  guests  Tvho  might  arrive  between 
meals,  and  who  might  be  weary  and  faint 
from  long  travelling  and  fasting. 

So  much  for  the  Commissariat  Depart- 
ment ! 

Now  I  must  think  how  to  manage  sleep- 
ing accommodation  for  my  guests ;  and  in 
fact  I  began  to  feel  hke  a  landlady  ;  having 
all  the  trouble  of  keeping  an  hotel,  only 
— without  the  pay. 

Of  course  the  little  "  stoep-room  "  must  be 
the  bachelors'  quarters  as  usual,  but  I  can 
arrange  a  bed  for  a  young  lady  in  one  of  our 
two  dormitories  inside  the  house,  by  taking 
the  children  into  our  own  room. — The  young 
lady  will  have  to  submit  to  nurse's  company 
at  night ;  but  I  will  put  their  beds  on  oppo- 
site sides  of  the  room,  and  nurse's  good 
humour  will  keep  the  poor  girl's  spirits  up. 
Every  evening  at  nine  o'clock,  nurse  and  I 
will  turn  all  the  -gentlemen  out  of  the  house 
for  a  smoke  on  the  stoep,  and  while  they  are 
out  of  the  way  we  will  push  aside  the  tables 
and  make  shake-downs  all  round  the  dining- 
room,  and  they  must  all  use  the  bachelors'  den 


1 44     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei, 

as  a  dressing-room.  As  for  servants,  tliey 
will  have  to  sleep  in  the  kitchen ;  and  should 
we  be  very  much  crowded,  I  can  arrange  ham- 
mocks in  the  verandah,  and  put  blankets  on 
the  floor  of  the  passage ;  but  meanwhile  we 
have  camp  bedsteads  enough,  and  any  amount 
of  linen,  so  no  one  need  be  uncomfortable  just 
yet. 

This  result  of  my  cogitations  made  me 
quite  happy  again,  and  I  was  glad  to  have 
so  much  to  do  that  I  had  no  time  to  feel 
frightened  or  indeed  think  of  the  war  at  all, 
except  from  a  practical  point  of  view.  "We 
really  got  through  the  week  very  well ;  Miss 
G.  and  I  spending  our  mornings  in  the 
verandah  as  quietly  as  if  nothing  of  an  un- 
usual nature  was  going  on.  Pretty  Miss  G. 
busy  at  her  "  Little  Wanzer ;  "  engaged  in 
hemming  new  table-cloths  and  serviettes  for 
me,  and  I,  usually  acting  tailor  at  my  cutting- 
out  table,  while  the  ravens  came  and  fed  us 
with  news.  I  told  all  our  guests  they  were 
welcome  to  everything  we  had  to  offer,  on  one 
condition ; — that  no  groans  were  allowed.  So 
every  one  did  his  best  to  tell  his  story  in  the 


A  Break  in  the  Clouds.  145 

most  amusing  way,   and   nothing   but   har- 
mony and  mirth  reigned  in  our  household. 

After  a  day  or  two  the  excitement  some- 
what subsided,  and  by  the  Friday  afternoon 
everything  seemed  so  quiet,  that  Mrs.  Barnett 
and  her  family  returned  to  Ibeka ;  the  Gosses 
(afterwards  killed  in  action),  and  some  other 
people  departed ;  and  by  Sunday,  the  2nd 
September,  things  had  all  but  returned  to 
their  normal  condition  at  Idutywa,  and  on 
the  Sunday  afternoon  a  little  service  was 
held  at  the  magistrate's  and  attended  by 
quite  a  congregation  of  white  people.  The 
whole  of  the  following  week  passed  away 
quietly,  and  we  went  on  steadily  with  our 
duties.  Several  people  came  to  see  us,  and  I 
do  not  remember  any  meal  at  which  some 
guest  was  not  present.  We  banished  painful 
topics  as  much  as  possible,  thinking  it  more 
prudent  to  do  so  ;  as  our  Kafir  servants  could 
hear  every  word  said  in  the  dining-room,  and 
we  did  not  feel  sure  whether  their  ignorance 
of  our  language  was  assumed  or  not.  Still, 
all  feeling  of  security  was  gone,  and  we  felt 
a  surprise  might  come  at  any  moment.     I 

L 


146     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

sat  resolutely  at  my  needlework  in  tlie  ve- 
randah, but  it  was  rather  a  strain  upon  one's 
nerves  to  do  so.  In  front  of  our  house  was 
a  piece  of  ground  which  we  hoped  to  convert 
into  a  flower-garden ;  but  during  these 
troublous  times  no  one  could  be  induced 
to  fence  it  for  any  consideration.  We  had 
therefore  no  means  of  shutting  out  the  pub- 
lic, and  as  the  nearest  way  to  the  magis- 
trate's was  along  a  path  which  ran  side  by 
side  with  our  verandah ;  I  saw  and  heard  a 
good  deal  which  I  kept  to  myself,  but  which 
made  me  uneasy. — When  we  first  arrived  at 
Idutywa,  the  natives  would  pass  our  house 
respectfully ;  walking  on  the  side  of  the 
path  farthest  away  from  me,  and  almost 
invariably  addressing  me  as  "  Inkos  ;"  their 
whole  demeanour  expressing  deference  and 
respect.  I  had  always  returned  these  salu- 
tations with  civility,  and  the  women  often 
brought  their  babies  to  show  me,  and  seemed 
pleased  if  I  noticed  them  in  any  way.  Now 
all  was  changed  ;  the  men  swaggered  past  me 
with  a  most  insolent  air ;  often  brushing  my 
dress  carelessly  with  their  assegais,  for  all 


Visit  to  the  Telegraph  Camp.  147 

were  armed  to  the  teeth,  and  displayed  their 
weapons  as  much  as  possible. — I  thought 
the  most  loyal  thing  to  do  was  to  bear  it 
patiently,  and  sit  quietly  until  they  were  out 
of  sight,  when  I  would  resume  my  work ;  but 
it  was  a  great  effort  to  do  so. 

Some  would  even  laugh  and  nod ;  first  at 
each  other  and  then  at  the  house,  and  I 
fancied  these  significant  looks  meant,  "  Oh  ! 
yes,  my  fine  lady-chief  (Inkos),  these 
pretty  things  belong  to  you  for  a  few  more 
days,  but  they  will  soon  enough  change 
hands"  ! 

"When  these  insults  became  too  unbearable 
I  would  go  for  a  walk  with  my  husband,  to 
shake  off  the  nervous  impression.  Just 
about  this  time  the  little  station  at  Idutywa 
was  enlivened  by  a  visit  from  Captain  Fraser, 
(of  the  telegraph  department),  who  pitched 
his  busy  and  pretty  camp  just  above  our 
house.  Of  course  we  all  went  to  pay  him 
a  visit,  and  I  was  quite  interested  in  all 
the  curious  things  he  showed  us. 

Captain  Fraser  was  very  kind  in  explaining 
everything  in  the  most  charming  way,  but  I 
L  2 


148     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

never  could  swallow  even  the  smallest  dose 
of  science,  and  should  be  just  as  contented  if 
the  earth  were  square,  or  rested  on  a  tortoise's 
back ;  still  I  liked  to  look  at  the  water  in  the 
glasses  and  dip  my  finger  into  it,  and  know 
that  everything  in  the  place  could  go  off  if  it 
chose ! 

I  was  also  charmed  with  Captaia  Eraser's 
costume,  which  was  made  entirely  of  dark 
brown  leather.  It  was  very  becoming,  per- 
fectly adapted  to  the  bush ;  and  I  did  nothing 
but  beg  my  husband  to  procure  a  similar 
dress  all  the  way  home. 

Of  course  the  work  was  being  hurried 
on  as  fast  as  possible,  as  it  would  be  in- 
valuable should  any  serious  disturbance  occur ; 
and  we  all  looked  lovingly  at  the  telegraph 
poles,  for  they  seemed  a  link  to  civilisation, 
and  we  felt  very  much  safer  when  they  were 
all  put  up.  We  went  to  say  good-bye  to  our 
friend  when  he  left,  and  as  I  looked  at  the 
people  striking  the  tents  and  preparing  for 
departure,  how  little  I  guessed  that  the  next 
camp  I  should  see  would  be  our  own ;  that  one 
dear  child  would   die  in  a  tent,  and  another 


Expected  Arrival  of  the  Governor.     1 49 

little  one  be  born  in  a  tent ;  and  that  the  time 
would  come  when  I  should  look  back  upon 
our  little  cottage  at  Idutywa  as  a  palace  of 
luxury  and  paradise  of  peace ;  and  that  all 
these  changes  would  occur  before  that  line  of 
telegraph  was  finished ! 

We  certainly  had  no  reason  to  complain  of 
feeling  dull  at  present ;  and  the  little  bustle 
Captain  Eraser's  camp  created  had  not  yet 
subsided,  when  we  received  official  information 
that  his  Excellency  the  Governor,  Sir  Bartle 
Frere,  and  his  suite,  were  about  to  honour  the 
Transkei  with  a  visit ;  and  my  husband 
received  a  command  to  proceed  immediately 
to  Butterworth,  to  receive  his  Excellency's 
instructions.  Of  course  this  grand  piece  of 
intelligence  plunged  the  whole  station  into 
the  wildest  state  of  excitement ;  and  we 
wondered  what  effect  the  spectacle  of  a  quiet, 
elderly  gentleman  in  a  shooting-coat  would 
have  upon  the  minds  of  the  natives.  What 
would  we  not  have  given  for  the  presence  of 
a  brigade  of  troops, — a  military  band, — gor- 
geous uniforms, — splendid  equipages, — ele- 
phants,— nautch-girls, — Hengler's  Circus, — 


150     F^'iends  mid  Foes  in  the  Ti-anskei. 

anytliing  or  everything  to  astonisli  tlie 
natives.  When  would  something  happen  to 
show  the  Kafirs  we  really  were  big  people  ? 
How  can  they  form  the  smallest  estimate 
of  England's  greatness  from  the  scattered 
handfuls  of  white  people  divided  from  each 
other  by  distance,  and  connected  by  no  ties 
of  affection,  whom  they  contemptuously  per- 
mitted to  dwell  among  them  ?  All  I  know 
is,  I  am  exceedingly  grateful  to  them  for 
not  despatching  us  long  ago,  for  that  they 
could  have  massacred  us  with  the  greatest 
ease  is  a  fact  which  no  one  acquainted  with 
the  country  will  dispute. 

My  husband  left  home  on  Friday,  the  1 4th 
September,  and  I  feared  he  might  not  return 
for  several  days  ;  I  expected  to  be  very  dull, 
and  determined  to  amuse  myself  with  a  good 
house-cleaning  during  his  absence.  Mrs. 
Gog's  energies  had  lately  been  chiefly  occu- 
pied with  the  cuisine,  and  the  house  was 
really  looking  rather  black  !  I  thought  an  air 
of  neglect  would  impress  the  Kafir  servants 
with  the  idea  that  we  did  not  expect  to  remain 
there  long;   so  partly  from  loyalty   to  good 


Afternoon  Siesta.  151 

Queen  Victoria,  and  partly  from  respect  to  my 
own  love  of  order,  we  cleared  the  decks  and 
prepared  for  action.  All  that  Saturday  morn- 
ing we  scrubbed,  and  dusted,  and  polished, 
and  sang,  and  laughed,  and  scolded ;  until  we 
were  almost  too  tired  to  eat  the  hasty  luncheon 
which  was  all  I  cared  for  as  my  husband  was 
away.  After  dinner,  feeling  our  work  was 
done,  nurpe  went  to  lie  down  in  her  own 
room ;  I  locked  the  front  door,  took  a  book, 
and  imitated  her  example.  The  Kafir  ser- 
vants took  the  children  out  for  a  walk,  and 
nurse  and  I  never  heard  the  arrival  of  a 
visitor,  who  was  no  less  a  personage  than 
Major  Elliot. 

After  ineffectual  attempts  to  make  himself 
heard,  he  departed  to  the  magistrate's  in 
despair. 

He  returned,  however,  in  about  a  quarter 
of  an  hour,  and  this  time  the  knocking  at  the 
front  door  fortunately  awoke  me. 

Startled  and  nervous,  and  still  half  asleep  ; 
I  was  on  the  point  of  opening  the  door,  when 
good  nurse  pushed  me  back  into  the  dining- 
room,  and  ushered  in  Major  Elliot.     We  were 


152     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

soon  laugliing  about  his  unsuccessful  attempts 
to  attract  our  attention ;  and  wlien  I  began 
to  feel  a  little  more  awake  I  made  the  usual 
inquiry  as  to  whether  he  was  travelling  "  up  " 
or  "  down  country."  How  could  I  ask  such 
a  stupid  question  ? — "  Down,"  of  course ;  he 
was  on  his  way  to  pay  his  respects  to  his 
Excellency  at  Butterworth,  but  would  remain 
at  Idutywa  until  the  Monday.  I  knew  the 
magistrate's  house  was  full  to  overflowing, 
and  that  he  would  not  care  to  go  there ;  here 
was  a  dilemma ;  what  was  I  to  do  ?  Nurse 
looked  "  Yes  !"  from  the  kitchen  door,  and  I 
ventured  to  ask  if  Major  Elliot  would  like  to 
take  up  his  quarters  in  the  little  stoep- 
room  for  the  next  day  or  two.  He  at 
first  declined,  and  after  a  short  visit  went 
off  to  look  after  his  horses.  I  now  sent 
for  Magog,  the  tall  orderly  who  had  been  left 
behind  to  take  care  of  us  all ;  and  requested 
him  to  go  and  tell  the  Major  that  my  husband 
had  left  a  special  message  begging  him  to 
make  use  of  the  little  outside  room  if  he 
should  arrive  during  his  absence  ;  and  he  deli- 
vered his  message  so  diplomatically,  that  in 


"  A  Pipe  with  Eraser  /  "  153 

a  few  moments  he  returned  witli  valise  and 
saddle-bags,  and  said  their  owner  would  be 
very  pleased  to  accept  my  husband's  invi- 
tation.   ' 

How  glad  nurse  and  I  were  that  we  had 
got  all  our  cleaning  over  early  in  the  day ; — 
now  we  had  almost  nothing  to  do,  but  see 
that  the  evenino^  meal  was  all  riorht  and  await 
the  return  of  our  guest.  He  and  the  children 
all  came  in  good  time  for  tea,  and  little  Henry 
was  very  much  gratified  at  being  allowed  to 
sit  up  to  "  late  dinner,"  as  he  called  it,  and 
behaved  with  the  utmost  dignity  and  pro- 
priety. 

When  tea  was  over,  we  were  glad  to  chat 
beside  the  fire,  for  the  evenings  were  now 
very  cold ;  and  I  wondered  how  the  Governor 
would  endure  the  hardship  of  sleeping  in  a 
tent  that  night ! 

I  was  very  tired  after  my  morning's  work; 
and  kind  Major  Elliot,  perhaps  pitying  my 
sleepy  looks,  soon  called  for  Mrs.  Gog  to 
come  and  lock  him  out,  and  departed,  "  to 
have  a  pipe  with  Fraser." 

Nurse  and  I  were  most  grateful  for  this 


154     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

considerate  piece  of  thoughtfulness,  and  soon 
retired  to  rest.  I  was  asleep  in  a  moment, 
but  awoke  about  midnight  in  some  alarm,  as 
I  heard  voices  talking,  and  fancied  at  first 
the  Kafirs  had  surprised  us,  and  that  Magog 
and  the  other  orderly  had  come  to  announce 
the  fact.  In  another  moment  however,  I 
recognized  the  voices  as  those  of  Major  Elliot 
and  Captain  Fraser,  and  guessed  correctly 
that,  finding  the  air  cold  on  the  veldt,  they  had 
preferred  the  cosy  snugness  of  the  cabin,  and 
were  smoking  in  the  little  stoep-room  outside. 
I  could  distinguish  the  voices,  but  fortu- 
nately could  not  hear  a  word  they  said,  as 
the  wall  of  the  house  intervened;  knowing 
all  was  right,  I  was  just  composing  myself  off 
to  sleep  again,  when  I  heard  a  low  whistle  in 
the  verandah  ;  and  at  the  same  moment  I 
heard  three  gentlemen's  voices  exclaiming 
simultaneously,  "  Who's  there  ?  "  in  rather 
military  tones.  Eecognizing  my  husband's 
signal  v\^histle,  I  felt  quite  happy,  and 
thoroughly  enjoyed  the  fun;  only  hoping 
they  would  not  fire  upon  each  other  all  round 
before  they  had  found  out  their  mistake. 


Three  Supposed  Assassins.  155 

A  hearty  chorus  of  laughter  reassured  me 
on  this  head,  and  by  the  time  I  had  donned 
my  dressing-gown  and  opened  the  front  door, 
the  three  supposed  burglars  were  shaking 
hands  in  the  most  cordial  manner ! — It  seemed 
the  Governor  had  been  kind  enough  to  release 
my  husband,  telling  him  to  go  home  and  take 
care  of  his  wife,  and  return  on  Monday  ;  my 
husband,  nothing  loath,  galloped  away ;  and 
on  arriving  at  home  was  startled  at  seeing  a 
light  in  the  window  of  Bachelor's  Den ;  how- 
ever, he  imagined  that  some  refugee  was  quar- 
tered there  ;  and  thought  nothing  of  it  until 
he  beard  two  men's  voices.  This  alarmed  him ; 
and,  fearing  something  wrong,  he  was  just 
prepared  to  give  them  rather  a  warm  recep- 
tion. But  when  the  supposed  assassins  heard 
his  low  warning  whistle,  which  was  intended 
for  my  ears  alone — surprised  in  Qieir  turn, 
and  suspicious  of  everything  and  everybody 
in  those  anxious  times, — they  braced  them- 
selves for  the  expected  foe,  and  prepared  a 
doubly  warm  welcome  for  my  poor  husband  ! 
However,  all  recognized  each  other  at  the 
first  word,  and   no  harm  was  done. — I  was 


156     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

delighted  to  see  Edward  again  so  soon,  espe- 
cially on  Major  Elliot's  account ;  as  I  feared 
he  would  find  Sunday  a  fearfully  dull  day  to 
drag  through,  with  only  women  and  children 
to  entertain  him. 

This  Sunday  was  the  last  my  hnsband  and 
I  ever  spent  together  in  our  dear  little  cabin, 
and  it  was  rather  an  eventful  one.  Major 
Elliot  was  a  delightful  visitor,  making  him- 
self thoroughly  at  home,  and  the  day  was 
further  marked  by  our  reception  of  a  distin- 
guished guest !  The  individual  in  question 
was  G-angelizwe,  paramount  chief  of  the 
Tembus,  and  son-in-law  to  Kreli,  chief  of  the 
Gcalekas,  against  whom  we  so  shortly  after- 
wards proclaimed  war.  Major  Elliot  was 
Resident  with  him,  and  generally  responsible 
for  bis  good  behaviour  and  loyalty  to  the 
British  Government.  Many  were  the  jokes 
about  the  Major's  "  baby,"  and  I  was  on  the 
tip-toe  of  expectation,  when  we  were  told  that 
the  great  chief,  with  a  retinue  of  three  hun- 
dred warriors  (among  them  a  real,  live  witch- 
doctor), had  actually  arrived  in  the  Idutywa 
E-eserve    and   was    awaiting  Major    Elliot's 


Reception  of  Gangelizwe.  157 

wishes  !  I  flew  to  put  on  some  ornaments  to 
brighten  mj  black  dress,  and  charged  nurse 
to  bring  in  the  refreshments  selected  by 
our  dusky  guest,  as  I  knew  she  would  enjoy 
being  present  at  the  interview.  I  then  awaited 
the  arrival  of  our  chief,  who  appeared  in  a  few 
minutes,  escorted  with  due  respect  by  Major 
Elliot  and  my  husband.  After  the  first  com- 
pliments were  over,  and  our  guest  was  seated  ; 
we  asked  him  what  he  would  take  to  drink. — 
**  Brandy,  brandy  !  "  he  cried ;  "  no  water,  no 
water ;  brandy  very  good.^'  It  was  brought, 
with  wine  for  the  two  gentlemen,  and  he  ab- 
solutely grinned  with  delight,  when  it  was 
poured  with  no  measured  hand  into  a  large 
tumbler.  "  More,  more  !  "  he  kept  exclaiming 
until  the  glass  was  nearly  full.  He  now  called 
for  a  tumbler  of  water,  and  then,  having  first 
bowed  politely  to  the  three  pale-faces,  he 
tossed  off"  the  glass  of  perfectly  "  neat"  brandy 
at  a  draught,  drinking  the  whole  of  the  water 
the  moment  after,  to  get  as  it  were  two 
glasses  for  one  !  He  did  not  take  any  more, 
and  the  brandy  had  no  visible  eifect  upon  him. 
While  he   was   eating  and   drinking  I  found 


158     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

time  to  scrutinize  our  visitor,  and  could 
hardly  believe  the  dreadful  stories  I  had 
heard  about  this  handsome-looking  man ; 
there  was  nothing  repulsive  in  his  counte- 
nance, and  his  expression  was  rather  sweet 
and  gentle ;  beautiful  teeth  and  the  smile  of 
a  child.  The  back  of  the  head  was  not  parti- 
cularly good,  but  I  cannot  say  it  was  particu- 
larly bad,  and  for  once  I  felt,  physiognomy 
and  phrenology  were  at  fault. 

While  we  were  talking  to  our  guest,  a 
curious-looking  white  man  came  through  the 
kitchen;  and  after  lingering  for  a  moment  at 
the  door,  entered  the  dining-room  in  a  strange, 
stealthy  manner,  and  crouched  down  upon 
the  floor  behind  Gangelizwe's  chair.  The 
chief  sat  exactly  opposite  to  me.  Major  Elliot 
and  my  husband  occupied  chairs  on  my  right 
and  left  hand,  and  we  three  sat  facing  the 
before-mentioned  door ;  which  was  therefore 
behind  Gangelizwe.  The  man  entered  the 
house  with  such  an  air  of  composure,  that 
we  imagined  he  was  an  interpreter  to  the 
chief,  and  that  Gangelizwe  had  sent  for  him ; 
and  the  odd  position  behind  his  chair  seemed 


An  Awkward  Occurrence.  1 59 

only  an  expression  of  humility  and  respect. 
We  therefore  said  nothing,  and  had  not  the 
slightest  idea  anything  was  wrong,  until 
Gangelizwe,  on  turning,  and  for  the  first 
time  seeing  the  man,  started  up,  his  face 
absolutely  white  with  terror,  the  muscles 
working  with  mingled  rage  and  fear,  and 
his  whole  countenance  presenting  the  most 
repulsive  appearance,  it  has  ever  been  my 
lot  to  see.  "  Tell  that  man  go  away, 
away,  away  !  "  he  shouted,  almost  foaming 
with  rage  and  terror ;  and  now  it  flashed 
upon  us  that  the  man  had  nothing  to  do  with 
the  chief,  and  that  Gangelizwe  actually  sus- 
pected us  of  having  introduced  an  assassin 
to  stab  him  in  the  back,  while  he  sat  peace- 
fully partaking  of  our  hospitality  ! !  Such  an 
impression  was  the  very  last  thing  any  white 
person  in  the  Transkei  would  have  wished  for 
at  that  crisis,  and  it  required  tact  and  time 
to  obliterate  the  disagreeable  effect  produced. 
Of  course  the  interloper  was  speedily  sent 
about  his  business,  but  what  that  business 
was — who  he  was,  and  whence  he  came — 
will  ever  remain  a  mystery. 


1 6o     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

Major  Elliot  or  my  husband  would  have 
inquired  further  into  the  matter,  but  could 
not  very  well  leave  me  with  Gangelizwe, 
who  was  in  the  wildest  state  of  excitement ; 
besides,  they  saw  the  man  was  not  quite 
himself,  and  evidently  harmless,  his  only 
object  in  entering  our  house  uninvited  having 
been  a  motive  of  curiosity,  and  a  wish  to  see 
the  celebrated  chief.  We  therefore  let  him 
depart  in  peace,  and  concentrated  our  united 
efforts  in  the  attempt  to  soothe  the  irritation 
of  our  insulted  guest.  The  secret  con- 
sciousness that,  in  a  few  more  days,  our  lives 
might  be  at  his  mercy  perhaps  tended  to 
sharpen  our  wits;  remembering  that  "Music 
hath  charms  to  soothe  the  savage  breast,"  I 
whispered  a  request  to  Mrs.  Grog  to  bring  her 
musical  box.  Thoroughly  entering  into  the 
spirit  of  the  thing,  she  quietly  withdrew,  and 
speedily  returned  with  the  little  instrument 
which  had  so  often  been  the  "  plague  of  my 
life,"  but  on  this  occasion  proved  our  best 
friend.  Gangelizwe  looked  up  at  her  en- 
trance, (he  evidently  admired  her  very  much, 
and  indeed,  her  comely  figure  looked  quite 


Gangelizwe  and  the  Musical  Box.     1 6 1 

charmiDg  in  her  Sunday  dress),  but  did  not 
notice  the  box  upon  the  table  at  his  side, 
until  it  began  to  play..  Then  his  face  was  a 
study !  It  perfectly  glowed  with  surprise 
and  pleasure,  and  he  looked  with  an  air  of 
bewilderment  all  about  the  room,  and  then 
at  ourselves,  for  an  explanation.  I  really 
think  he  fancied  the  house  was  bewitched, 
and  am  confident  he  would  have  summoned 
his  band  of  warriors,  witch-doctor  and  all,  to 
his  assistance,  had  not  my  husband  carefully 
explained  the  mystery  of  the  music.  Re- 
assured, he  now  gave  himself  up  to  enjoy- 
ment, fondled  the  little  instrument  as  if  it 
had  been  a  child,  laid  his  head  against  it  to 
hear  better,  and  smiled  at  us  with  an  ex- 
pression, not  merely  of  childish  amusement, 
but  of  real,  musical  feeling  !  What  a  strange 
compound  truly  is  this  curious  human  nature, 
and  how  closely  are  the  threads  of  good  and 
evil  mingled  in  the  tangled  web  of  character  I 
How  thankful  we  should  be  that  we  have  for  a 
Judge,  One  who  will  make  tenderest  allowance 
for  the  circumstances  in  which  we  have  been 
placed ;    One   who    will   so    lovingly   bring 

M 


1 62     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

out  the  best,  and  eradicate  tlie  worst  side 
of  our  nature ;  and  who,  by  little  and 
little,  will  surely  purify  every  soul,  and 
lead  it  gently  into  progressive  states  of 
happiness  ! 

We  were  interested  in  our  strange  guest 
in  spite  of  our  prejudice  against  him,  and 
did  our  best  to  treat  him  with  the  respect 
due  to  his  rank,  and  the  position  he  held 
as  our  ally.  Imagine  my  dismay,  there- 
fore, when  Edward,  who  cannot  long  re- 
strain his  passion  for  teasing  me  ;  answered 
a  query  made  by  Gangelizwe,  as  to  whether 
a  little  statuette  representing  Purity  was  a 
jQ.gure  of  Queen  Victoria !  by  the  atrocious 
reply,  "  Oh !  dear  no  !  that  is  not  an  image 
of  Queen  Victoria !  don't  you  see  it  is 
intended  to  represent  my  wife  ?  "  Gangelizwe 
smiled  and  nodded  at  this  abominable  reply, 
and  as  I  thought  Kafir  etiquette  would  be 
outraged  if  I  administered  the  hearty  box  on 
the  ear  which  my  husband  so  richly  deserved, 
I  withdrew  from  the  room ;  rather  glad  to 
avoid  by  this  means  a  parting  salute  from 
Gangelizwe.      The   chief    soon   retired,   but 


The  "  Th'ee  Hundred.^''  163 

next  morning,  while  we  were  having  a  seven 
o'clock  breakfast,  for  the  benefit  of  oar  tra- 
vellers, he  reappeared  in  a  charming  temper, 
and  without  attendants ;  and,  thanking  us 
for  our  trifling  hospitality  of  the  day  before, 
said,  with  the  air  of  a  prince,  that  he  had 
come  to  bid  farewell  to  the  kind  lady-chief;  he 
alsojnquired  for  Mrs.  Gog,  whom  he  evidently 
imagined  to  be  my  husband's  other  wife ; 
and  whom  he  treated  with  much  deference 
and  respect.  I  now  walked  with  little  Henry 
up  to  Captain  Fraser's  camp,  whence  Major 
Elliot,  Gangelizwe,  and  my  husband  were 
to  start  for  Butterworth,  the  halting-place  of 
the  Governor.  The  departure  was  really 
quite  imposing,  and  the  whole  scene  most 
animated  and  interesting : — the  three  hun- 
dred mounted  warriors,  dressed  in  every 
variety  of  fantastic  finery,  the  acme  being 
attained  in  the  witch-doctor's  costume,' 
which  was  arranged  in  such  a  bewildering 

'  This  witch-doctor  was  killed  and  beheaded  a  few 
days  after  in  one  of  the  skirmishes;  imagine  the  horror  of 
our  forces  when  they  discovered  the  poor  thing  was  a 
woman  who  had  sacrificed  her  life  in  fidelity  to  her  chief 
and  to  Queen  Victoria  ! 

M  2 


164     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

way  that  she  looked  more  hke  an  ostrich 
dressed  up  as  a  scarecrow  than  anything 
else  !  However,  they  all  possessed  the  beauty 
of  fidelity,  at  all  events ;  and  therefore  we 
looked  upon  them  with  interest  in  spite  of 
their  motley  appearance. — Another  animated 
scene  was  presented  in  the  telegraph  camp, 
and  Idutywa  seemed  quite  gay.  When  the 
procession  was  in  perfect  order,  Major  Elliot, 
my  husband,  and  Gangelizwe,  rode  side  by 
side  at  the  head  of  the  column ;  then  followed 
Edward's  escort  of  gentlemen,  and  these 
were  again  followed  by  "  the  three  hundred," 
who  rode  three  or  four  abreast.  It  was  a 
pretty  sight  on  that  bright,  frosty  morning, 
but  I  barely  saw  it  start,  as  I  wished  to 
return  to  the  house,  knowing  it  was  just 
that  hour  in  the  day  when  the  guiding  hand 
of  the  mistress  is  most  needed  at  the  helm. 
It  was  a  time  when  one  did  not  much  like 
the  gentlemen  of  one's  household  to  be  away, 
but  I  comforted  myself  with  the  reflection 
that  my  husband  was  safe  if  we  were  not; 
and  with  the  certainty  that  he  would  return 
the  moment  he  could  possibly  get  away. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Return  from  Butterworth — Anecdote  of  Sir  Bartle  Frere 
— ^Arrival  of  Mounted  Police  at  Idutywa — My  hus- 
band leaves  for  Umtata — I  lose  my  rose-coloured  spec- 
tacles. 

Next  day,  Tuesday,  the  13th  of  Septem- 
ber, Edward  galloped  up  just  in  time  for 
dinner,  and  on  the  Wednesday,  Major  Elliot 
appeared,  and  again  took  up  his  quarters 
in  Bachelor's  Den,  leaving  for  Umtata  the 
following  day.  We  had  a  merry  evening, 
sitting  cosily  round  the  fire ;  discussing  the 
Governor's  visit.  My  husband  had  had  the 
honour  of  lunching  with  his  Excellency  on  the 
Saturday,  of  dining  with  him  on  the  Monday, 
and  joining  him  at  breakfast  on  the  Tuesday 
morning,  and  had  much  appreciated  his 
kindness  and  hospitality.  I  also  sincerely 
thanked  him  for  an  act  of  thoughtful   con- 


1 66     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

sideration  which  showed  the  kindness  of  his 
nature  to  great  advantage.  Sir  Bartle  Frere 
had  gone  up  to  one  of  the  young  men 
in  my  husband's  escort,  and  inquired  why 
he  did  not  put  on  his  overcoat,  as  the 
air  was  so  bitterly  keen.  "  We  have  no 
overcoats,  sir,"  replied  the  poor  fellow  in  the 
most  cheerful,  uncomplaining  way.  "  No 
overcoats ! "  responded  his  Excellency  in 
unutterable  tones  of  commiseration  and 
amazement ;  "  this  must  be  looked  into  at 
once."  And  I  am  delighted  to  say  the 
deficiency  was  speedily  rectified.  I  thought 
this  was  so  nice  in  the  Governor,  and  must 
be  excused  for  recording  this  little  incident. 

1^0  other  event  of  interest  occurred  until 
Friday  of  the  same  week,  the  21st  September, 
when  Idutywa  was  again  enlivened  by  the 
advent  of  a  military-looking  column  of  armed 
and  mounted  police  (now  called  Cape  Mounted 
Rifles),  who  appeared  upon  the  hills  south 
of  our  house  about  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon.  I  flew  for  the  children  to  see  the 
"  pretty  soldiers,"  and  my  husband  dashed  off 
to  ascertain  who  they  were  and  whence  they 


Personal  Details.  167 

came.  He  eoon  returned  with  the  agreeable 
information  that  the  force  consisted  of  one 
hundred  men,  under  the  command  of  an 
inspector.  Several  other  officers  were  there 
with  whom  he  was  acquainted,  and  he  went 
off  to  see  them  as  soon  as  they  had  pitched 
their  tents. 

I  may  be  pardoned  for  regarding  the  ar- 
rival of  this  force  with  some  thankfulness 
and  rejoicing,  when  I  state  that  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning,  the  22nd  of  September,  my 
husband  would  be  obliged  to  leave  home  for 
several  weeks,  as  he  had  received  instructions 
from  the  Governor  to  proceed  immediately 
to  Umtata  (the  northern  limit  of  the  Transkei, 
and  about  a  hundred  miles  away),  to  com- 
mence the  work  which  Government  had 
stopped  the  previous  year  on  account  of  the 
supposed  unsettled  state  of  the  country. 
This  had  been  during  the  term  of  Sir  Henry 
Barkly's  governorship,  and  if  the  country 
was  not  at  that  time  in  a  fit  state  for  the 
work,  how  much  less  was  it  now  in  a  con- 
dition for  such  a  thing  I  However,  our  duty 
was  to  obey  \  but  I  may  be  forgiven  if  I  con- 


1 68     Fnends  a7td  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

fess  to  a  sad  sinking  at  heart  as  I  assisted  in 
tlie  preparations  for  my  husband's  departure, 
as  my  own  state  of  health  made  a  wagon- 
journey  a  thing  not  to  be  thought  of  except 
under  most  urgent  and  pressing  circum- 
stances. This  alone  prevented  our  accom- 
panying him,  though  could  we  have  fore- 
seen the  calamities  of  the  following  week, 
we  should  of  course  have  risked  everything 
sooner  than  face  a  separation. 

My  readers  will  not  wonder  that  my  hus- 
band's anxiety  about  our  safety  was  materially 
diminished  at  the  arrival  of  so  many  armed 
white  men  at  the  Iduty  wa ;  and  next  morning 
he  started  in  good  spirits,  after  having  pre- 
sented to  me  the  different  officers,  who  all 
came  to  see  us  in  the  verandah,  and  gave  me 
a  kind  welcome  to  the  Transkei. 

The   senior  officer  was  Inspector  C- ; 

Sub-inspectors  Allan  and  J.  Maclean,  Mr. 
Hamilton,  Mr.  Cochrane,  and  Dr.  Sharpe, 
the  medical  officer,  were  all  there;  and  I  felt 
very  brave  indeed  with  so  many  warriors  to 
take  care  of  us.  But  after  the  stir  and  bustle 
of  their  visit  was  over,  the  feeling  of  depres- 


A  True  Presentiment.  169 

sion  returned ;  and,  for  the  first  time  in  those 
troublous  times,  I  could  not  rouse  myself  to 
look  for  the  silver  lining  behind  the  cloud.  My 
husband  rallied  me  upon  my  fit  of  "  blues," 
assured  me  the  colour  was  not  at  all  becoming, 
and  asked  if  I  had  lost  my  rose-coloured 
spectacles,  entreating  me  to  "  get  up  a  smile  " 
to  speed  him  on  his  way.  Fearing  I  was 
making  myself  disagreeable,  1  did  manage  to 
comply  with  this  request,  but  my  heart 
told  me  it  was  no  vague  foreboding,  but  a 
real  presentiment  of  evil ;  which  weighed 
down  body  and  mind  alike.  As  the  wagon 
in  which  my  husband  was  travelling  toiled 
slowly  up  the  hill,  little  Henry  and  I  toiled 
wearily  after  it,  following  as  long  as  we  could, 
until  Edward,  fearing  we  might  lose  our  way, 
motioned  to  us  to  turn  back.  As  we  did 
so,  the  wagon  disappeared ;  and  something 
warned  me  that  moment  was  our  farewell  to 
our  happy  home  at  Idutywa !  So  indeed  it 
proved,  for  when  my  husband  again  visited 
the  place,  wife  and  children  had  fled,  the 
station  was  deserted,  and  the  little  home  upon 
which   we   had    expended   so   much    loving 


1 70     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

labour,  was  a  wreck ;  a  scene  of  chaos  and 
confusion ;  tenanted  by  troops,  desecrated  by 
disorder,  and  only  too  perfect  a  monument 
to  the  angry  god  of  war. — But  I  am  antici- 
pating.— This  was  Saturday,  the  22nd  of 
September. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

Declaration  of  War — An  Eventful  Morning -Ride  ! — Rush 
of  Refugees  into  the  Reserve — Kindness  of  Mr. 
Gumming — Wasted  work  and  needless  sympathy. 

Next  day  Captain  Grant  arrived,  bringing  up 

a  gun  which  Mr.  C had  sent  for.     And 

now  indeed  one  would  have  thought  I  ought 
to  regain  my  courage ;  but  no,  a  thunder-cloud 
seemed  to  oppress  my  soul,  and  I  was  so 
convinced  something  disastrous  was  about  to 
occur,  that  I  devoted  nearly  the  whole  of 
that  lonely,  dreary  day  to  the  task  of  ar- 
ranging and  destroying  papers  ;  sorting  and 
classifying  everything  into  the  state  I  should 
least  regret,  should  our  house  and  possessions 
fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Enemy.  I  write 
this  word  for  the  first  time,  for  it  is  only  to- 
day that  we  all  face  the  fact  that  it  is  too 
late  to    draw  back ;   Colonel  Eustace  having 


172     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

left  Kreli  (equivalent  to  the  departure  of  an 
ambassador  from  an  inimical  Foreign  Court), 
and  I  now  realize  that  henceforward  I  must 
be  father  and  mother  in  one,  for  my  husband 
has  gone  on  the  very  day  of  the  declaration 
of  war,^  and  it  is  to  me  alone  that  our  chil- 
dren must  look  for  safety  and  protection. 
Every  nerve  must  be  controlled,  and  every 
effort  concentrated  upon  the  task ;  and  this 
thought  animated  me  with  courage,  banish- 
ing the  gloomy  cloud  which  had  too  long 
oppressed  me,  and  many  months  passed  away 
before  it  again  returned. 

Everything  went  on  tolerably  quietly  until 
the  Wednesday.  Captain  Grant  called  before 
leaving  on  the  Monday ;  and  the  other  ofiQcers 
were  good  enough  to  fulfil  the  promise  exacted 
by  my  husband,  to  come  and  cheer  me  up. 
Some  refugees  arrived,  and  I  had  a  houseful 
of  guests  to  entertain,  and  altogether  my 
hands,  feet  and  brain  were  all  kept  so  busily 
employed  that  I  had  no  time  to  feel  nervous, 
or  listen  to  the  horrible  stories  which  every 
new-comer  had  to  relate.  Still  it  was  un- 
*  Unconsciously,  of  course. 


Easy  Repentance.  173 


comfortable  to  know  that  we  were  being 
surrounded  by  a  cordon  of  foes,  whose  num- 
bers we  had  no  means  of  estimating,  whose 
courage  was  undoubted,  and  whose  arms  and 
ammunition  had  been  perhaps  provided  by 
some  of  the  very  traders  now  trembling  about 
our  doors.  I  gave  them  hospitality,  but  sym- 
pathy I  could  not  summon ;  as,  but  for  these 
men,  we  should  not  now  be  menaced  by 
weapons  equal,  if  not  superior  to  our  own. 

Wednesday,  the  26th  of  September,  1877, 
dawned  bright  and  clear ;  and  by  the  time  I 
had  finished  my  household  duties,  the  atmo- 
sphere and  sunshine  were  so  utterly  bewitch- 
ing, that  it  was  simply  impossible  to  resist 
their  attractions,  and  I  really  could  not  sit 
still  in  the  house.  We  can  always  find  an 
excuse  for  idleness,  so  I  became  suddenly 
seized  with  a  conscientious  fit  of  remorse,  and 
conveniently  remembered  that  I  had  not  been 
to  see  Mrs.  Gumming  for  more  than  a  week. 
This  duty  must  of  course  be  performed  at 
once,  and  summoning  my  little  son  as  "  preux 
chevalier,"  I  put  on  my  hat,  and  sallied  forth. 

I  was  somewhat  surprised  to  find  Mrs.  Cum- 


1 74     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

ming  in  the  garden.  She  greeted  me  very 
kindly,  and  told  me  that  she  and  her  lady- 
visitors  had  gone  there  to  see  the  "  police  " 
start  for  a  morning  ride.  Knowing  the 
celebrated  brothers  Maclean  would  be  some 
of  the  cavaliers  in  question,  and  being 
further  aware  that  the  whole  country  was 
charged  with  electncity  which  only  required 
a  touch  to  set  it  on  fire,  it  was  no  wonder  if 
we  watched  the  departure  of  the  column 
with  some  degree  of  excitement,  and  invested 
the  whole  affair  with  a  colouring  of  interest 
almost  amounting  to  romance.  This  interest 
was  heightened  by  the  knowledge  that  the 
gun  was  to  accompany  the  party,  in  charge 
of  some  members  of  the  artillery  corps  which 
formed  part  of  the  force ;  and  we  all  felt  this 
morning  ride  would  end  in  some  collision 
with  the  opposing  forces.  Of  course  the 
little  army  looked  "  lovely,"  at  least  in  the 
eyes  of  the  women  and  children  who  regarded 
these  gallant  warriors  (so  soldier-like,  with 
their  handsome  figures,  upright  bearing,  and 
neat  uniforms),  as  our  defenders  and  cham- 
pions ;  and  I  think  had  they  known  the  amount 


Uiiprotected  I  175 

of  courage  and  heroism  with  which  we  cre- 
dited them,  they  would  scarcely  have  ventured 
to  bring  back  a  tale  of  defeat  to  one  woman 
who  that  day  admired  and  envied  them.  But 
"  he  who  fights  and  runs  away,  may  live  to 
fight  another  day  ;"  and  some  who  fled  from 
the  Guadana,  Uved  to  share  gallantly  in 
many  a  future  fight ;  and  in  the  heroic  deeds 
of  after-engagements  to  recover  the  prestige 
which  the  first  shock  and  surprise  of  over- 
whelming numbers  had  for  one  short  day 
somewhat  dimmed.  If  we  invested  our  heroes 
with  so  much  valour,  and  gave  them  credit 
for  so  much  power  of  resistance,  it  is  small 
wonder  if  we  began  to  feel  rather  unprotected 
after  they  were  gone; — this  was  especially 
the  case  with  myself,  when  I  found  that  the 
two  members  of  my  husband's  escort  who  had 
been  left  by  him  at  Iduty  wa  for  our  protection 
and  defence,  had,  without  a  word  of  warning 
to  me,  gone  off  with  the  riding-party.  This 
was  very  provoking,  and  not  quite  right,  but 
I  made  every  allowance  for  the  "  chaff""  they 
would  have  suffered  from  their  comrades  had 
they  remained  at  home  at  ease,  while  others 


1 76     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

were  dashing  into  the  jaws  of  danger ;  and 
feeling  that  under  similar  circumstances  I 
should  probably  have  felt  sorely  tempted  to 
do  as  they  had  done,  I  made  up  my  mind 
to  say  nothing  about  it  to  my  husband,  and 
simply  hope  nothing  serious  would  occur 
during  their  absence.  This  hope  was  not 
however,  realized  ;  during  the  day  refugees 
from  all  directions  arrived  at  the  Idutywa, 
and  these  were  not  merely  people  of  our  own 
colour  and  creed ; — hundreds  of  Fingo  families 
(our  allies)  poured  into  the  Reserve,  bringing 
with  them  flocks  and  herds,  goods  and  chat- 
tels ;  until  the  quiet  little  place  became  a  babel 
of  confusion  and  disorder,  and  resembled  a 
huge  cattle-pen  more  than  anything  else. 

Mr.  Gumming  was  most  kind  to  these  poor 
people,  had  rough  sheds  erected  to  shelter 
as  many  as  possible,  and  did  everything  in 
his  power  to  inspire  them  with  confidence. 
In  spite  of  this,  they  looked  most  miserable  ; 
turned  out  of  their  homes,  and  with  but 
scanty  prospects  of  ever  seeing  them  again, 
and  our  own  hearts  ached  as  we  witnessed 
their    sufferings    and    felt   their   experience 


Amateur  Ambulance.  i  TJ 


might  be  ours  before  many  days  bad  passed 
over  our  heads.  It  was  not  a  scene  very 
suitable  for  a  lady,  especially  one  new  to 
the  country,  and  I  was  glad  to  remain  in 
the  house,  and  occupy  myself  in  the  prepa- 
ration of  linen,  lint,  and  other  comforts  for 
the  wounded  who  might  too  soon  require  our 
care'  In  this  I  was  directed  by  the  worthy, 
little  doctor  whom  I  have  before  mentioned, 
and  with  his  advice  and  assistance,  I  con- 
verted the  little  stoep-room  into  a  surgery, 
and  placed  there  our  medicine-chest,  and 
every  other  appliance  we  could  muster. 
There  I  wasted  oceans  of  sympathy  and 
hours  of  fatiguing  work,  upon  the  victorious 
but  wounded  heroes,  whom  we  expected  every 
moment  to  return. — Morning  passed,  after- 
noon arrived,  and  evening  changed  into  night ; 
but  still  no  trace  or  sign  of  our  champions. 
At  last,  feeling  it  useless  to  sit  up  any  longer, 
I  lay  down  to  rest,  but  it  was  impossible 
to  sleep ;  for  the  incessant  bleating  of  sheep, 
lowing  of  cattle,  and  tread  of  hurried  feet, 
continued  without  intermission  during  the 
entire  night. 

N 


178     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

Besides  this,  there  were  patrols  and  ama- 
teur sentinels  of  every  description,  going 
and  coming  so  perpetually,  and  keeping  so 
suspiciously  close  to  the  house,  that  I 
thought  they  were  not  much  use,  as  Mrs. 
Gog  and  I  would  certainly  have  known 
had  any  danger  menaced  us  at  such  very 
close  quarters !  One's  own  thoughts  too 
were  busy,  and  a  thousand  questions  occu- 
pied one's  brain. — Where  were  the  Im- 
perial troops  ? — had  they  yet  crossed  the 
frontier  or  landed  at  Mazeppa  Bay  ? — Would 
the  police  return  before  the  Idutywa  was 
invaded? — Where  was  my  husband  by  this 
time  ? — Had  he  arrived  safely  at  Umtata,  or 
had  he  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  ? 
All  these  anxious  considerations  kept  one 
awake,  and  I  was  quite  thankful  when  the 
first  rays  of  daylight  stole  into  the  room,  and 
Mrs.  Gog,  who  had  passed  an  equally  sleepless 
night,  brought  a  cup  of  delicious  coffee  to 
recruit  my  exhausted  energies. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

The  27th  September — A  Day  of  Suspense — The  Fainting 
Phantom — Tidings  of  Defeat — The  Gaadana  Affair — 
The  Enemy  expected  in  "  half  an  hour  " — Johanna 
distinguishes  herself — "  Multum  in  Parvo" — A  Terrible 
Night. 

We  dragged  through  the  whole  of  that 
weary  day  of  suspense  somehow  or  other, — 
going  mechanically  about  our  duties,  and 
careful  to  preserve  the  usual  routine  as 
rigidly  as  possible,  but  all  interest  in  those 
duties  was  completely  gone,  and  we  simply 
ate  to  live.  The  children  were  as  sweet  as 
ever,  and  charmed  witb  the  bustle  and  stir 
about  them,  and  their  happiness  was  a  solace 
amidst  the  distracting  scene  around,  though 
their  presence  was  an  additional  source  of 
anxiety.  "When  they  had  gone  to  bed,  I 
resumed  my  preparations  for  the  wounded, 
N  2 


1 80     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

working  away  under  the  direction  of  the 
little  doctor,  who  looked  as  happy  over  our 
beautifully-fitted  medicine-chest  as  a  child 
over  her  first  paint-box,  but  who  found  time 
to  spare  for  a  merry  word  with  Mrs.  Gog, 
who,  too  modest  to  sit  down  in  the  dining- 
room,  and  too  excited  to  remain  alone  in  the 
kitchen,  (Kafir  servants  go  home  every  night) 
leaned  against  the  door,  and  watched  our 
proceedings  with  the  utmost  sympathy  and 
interest.  Of  course  we  were  all  "  on  the  qui- 
vive^  and  ears  and  eyes  alike  seemed  endowed 
with  supernatural  activity.  Our  conversation 
was  somewhat  of  an  effort,  and  I  was  just 
feeling  I  could  no  longer  keep  up  the  strain, 
and  must  go  away  to  be  alone,  when  I  heard 
a  feeble  knock  at  the  front  door,  and  in 
another  moment  a  ghastly-looking  spectre 
appeared  on  our  threshold.  I  repeat — a 
spectre ;  for  without  the  smallest  wish  to  use 
a  sensational  word,  I  am  compelled  to  apply 
this  to  the  haggard,  battle-stained  figure, 
who  stood  in  the"  darkness  of  our  little  hall, 
leaning  on  his  gun  for  support,  and  looking 
too  faint  and  feeble  to  enter  the  room.    Was 


An  Unpleasant  Task.  i8i 

this  the  doughty  champion  who  was  to 
return  flushed  with  success,  to  pour  the 
tidings  of  victory  into  our  delighted  ears? 
Surely ; — surely,  it  cannot  be  the  omen  of  de- 
feat, and  yet,  if  all  has  gone  well,  why  does 
he  not  announce  the  joyful  news  with  a  look 
of  triumph,  even  if  that  look  should  be  his 
last'! 

Before  we  recover  our  senses  sufficiently 
to  address  this  apparition,  he,  poor  thing, 
tries  to  summon  strength  to  speak  to  us,  and 
in  the  feebly-uttered  accents  which  come 
slowly  and  brokenly  from  his  parched  lip,  I 
distinguish  an  apology  for  having  left  me 
without  warning;  an  explanation  that  he 
thought  they  were  only  going  for  a  morning 
ride,  and  now,  in  the  consideration  and 
delicacy  of  feeling  which  prompts  him  to 
report  himself  and  tender  this  explanation 
before  he  has  had  so  much  as  a  drop  of 
water  to  quench  his  thirst  or  wash  away  the 
dust  and  smoke  of  battle  which  makes  him 
all  but  unrecognizable ;  I  discern  the  cour- 
teous instinct  of  a  gentleman,  and  see  for 
the  first  time,  that  the   phantom   stranger, 


1 8  2     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

who  looks  so  enormously  tall  and  ghost-like 
in  the  darkness,  is  the  gentle  giant  whom  I 
introduced  to  my  readers  as  "  Magog." 

My  rapid  glance  of  recognition  shows  me 
that  poor  Magog  is  all  but  fainting,  so  I 
merely  smile  and  nod  in  reply,  and  make  a 
dash  for  a  chair  with  one  hand  while  I  signal 
with  the  other  to  nurse  to  bring  food, — sup- 
per,— anything ;  as  fast  as  she  possibly  can. 
While  she  flies  to  the  pantry  for  bread  and 
meat,  the  little  doctor  turns  butler  and  opens 
the  bottle  of  Bass  which  I  produce  hastily  for 
our  poor  "  phantom ;"  perhaps  not  the  nicest 
or  best  thing  for  him  in  his  state  of  exhaus- 
tion, but  simply  because  it  was  more  quickly 
procurable  than  anything  else.  Of  course  we 
guessed  something  was  wrong,  and  were 
burning  with  impatience  to  hear  all,  but  we 
would  not  allow  him  to  tell  his  story  until  he 
had  eaten  something,  and  even  then  it  was 
difficult  to  connect  his  stammering  sentences 
or  form  a  distinct  idea  of  what  had  occurred. 

The  fact  was  poor  Magog  had  not  a  plea- 
sant story  to  tell,  and  a  very  few  words  were 
sufficient   for   me !      It   seems   they   had  all 


Tidings  of  Defeat.  183 

started  the  day  before,  really  under  the  im- 
pression that  nothing  of  importance  would 
take  place,  and  taking  no  provisions  with 
them.  They  had  presently  become  involved 
in  an  engagement,  with  (they  said),  about 
6000  Gcalekas,  and  speedily  succeeded  in 
compelling  the  enemy  to  retire,  killing  several 
hundreds. 

They  were,  however,  rash  enough  to  pursue 
the  retreating  foe,  until  they  found,  to  their 
dismay,  that  the  flight  had  been  a  "  ruse  de 
guerre,"  and  that  they  had  now  to  encounter  a 
host  of  warriors,  (they  said  about  10,000 
more),  perfectly  armed  and  fresh  to  the  field, 
by  whom  they  were  completely  surrounded. 

A  panic  seems  to  have  ensued, — the  gun 
broke  down  somehow  or  other,  and  became 
disabled, — and, — feehng  as  the  gallant  24th 
must  have  done  on  the  fatal  field  of  Isand- 
Ihana,  that  to  remain  was  to  be  massacred, 
— the  little  band,  {not  like  the  gallant  24th,) 
cut  their  way  through — and — left. ' 

*  I  do  not  vouch  for  the  accuracy  of  this  account  of 
the  Guadana  fight.  I  am  not  writing  a  military  history, 
but  simply  relating  an  Englishwoman's  experiences  during 


1 84     Friends  a7id  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

My  heart  seemed  to  cease  beating  as  I 
listened  with  breathless  interest  to  the  short, 
disjointed  sentences  which  proclaimed  the 
tale  of  woe ;  sympathy,  I  could  and  did  offer, 
but  admiration  I  could  neither  feel  nor  ex- 
press.— Feeling,  if  men  were  going  to  retire 
from  the  field,  women  had  better  go  to  the 
front,  I  left  the  room  to  think  over  what 
had  to  be  done. 

One  moment  alone, — to  check  the  torrent 
of  proud  and  passionate  tears  which  would 
rise  at  the  thought  of  my  country's  defeat ; 
and  now,  with  a  heart  that  could  feel  no 
more,  and  nerves  that  seemed  to  have  con- 
gealed into  petrified  iron,  I  returned ;  pre- 
pared to  face  the  worst,  and  go  quietly  through 
whatever  lay  before  me.  I  hardly  realized 
the  change  that  had  passed  over  me,  until  I 
heard  my  own  voice,  cold  and  stern,  and  saw 
the  start  the  two  men  gave  as  I  re-entered 
the  room. — "  Oh !  my  missis,  my  dear 
missis,"  cried  loving  Johanna,  "  don't  look 

the  war ;  so  I  merely  attempt  to  supply  the  version  which 
was  told  to  me,  and  I  have  no  reason  to  doubt  that  it  is 
correct. 


Dear,  old  Johanna  again.  185 

at  us  like  that ;  take  a  glass  of  wine,  now  do, 
— why  you  are  like  a  piece  of  hice." — The 
good  soul  amused  me  even  then,  and  I  was 
glad  to  hold  her  kind,  warm  hand  while  I  in- 
quired if  the  enemy  were  now  in  pursuit,  and 
how  soon  they  would  be  here ?  "In  about 
half  an  hour,  I  should  think ;  they  are  coming 
to  burn  your  house  down  to-night." 

In  half  an  hour  ! — why,  half  an  hour  must 
have  passed  already,  I  thought;  how  can 
those  men  sit  there  talking  while  there  is  so 
much  to  be  done  in  these  few  precious  mo- 
ments ? — I  longed  to  get  them  out  of  the 
house,  and  suggested  they  should  go  over  to 
Mr.  Cumming's,  and  see  what  preparations 
were  being  made  for  defence.  They  now 
begged  me  to  accompany  them,  kindly 
offering  to  carry  the  children  over,  as  Mr. 
Cummings'  house  had  a  roof  of  corrugated 
iron,  while  mine  could  only  boast  one  of 
thatch.  I  declined,  feeling  that  if  I  liaA  to 
die,  I  would  die  in  my  husband's  home ;  and 
they  departed,  eager  for  news  of  any  nature. 

It  was  a  great  relief  when  they  were  gone, 
and  Mrs.  Gog  and  I  now  held  a  council  of 


1 86     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Tj^anskei. 

war;  the  good  creature  behaving  nobly;  never 
once  reproaching  me  for  having  innocently 
brought  her  into  so  much  trouble,  and  showing 
pluck  and  energy  enough  to  have  fitted  out 
handsomely,  a  few  dozen  of  the  men  now 
trembling  and  croaking  about  the  reserve. 

We  now  decided  that  if  the  worst  came  to 
the  worst,  she  should  try  to  escape  with  the 
children,  and  make  their  way  down  to  the 
coast.  Of  course  this  was  a  chimerical  idea, 
as  we  did  not  know  that  we  were  already 
completely  cut  off  from  the  colony  by  a  vast 
horde  of  foes.  But  a  second  suggestion  was 
more  sensible  and  practical ;  and  upon  it  we 
acted  at  once.  Should  the  dreaded  fire-stick 
be  placed  under  our  thatched  roof;  in  a  few 
minutes  our  store-room,  containing  parafl&n 
oil,  &c.,  would  be  burnt  to  the  ground ; 
and  the  valuable  stock  of  provisions  which 
my  husband  had  purchased  as  a  year's  supply, 
would  be  entirely  lost.  The  first  thing  to  be 
done  was  to  pack  into  something  fire-proof, 
a  stock  of  provisions  of  the  most  compact 
and  nourishing  nature ;  such  as  tins  of  oat- 
meal, Swiss  milk,  chocolate,  &c.      Charmed 


Commissariat  Officers  I  i87 

to  relieve  our  suspense  with  useful  labour, 
we  took  a  lamp  and  went  out  into  tHe  ve- 
randah. Fortunately  the  night  was  warmer 
than  usual,  and  our  excitement  prevented 
our  taking  cold,  as  we  were  too  hurried  to 
wait  for  shawl  or  hat.  We  looked  out  a  little 
cautiously,  and  I  may  be  excused  if  1  confess 
that  my  heart  beat  quicker  when  I  stumbled 
over  something  living  and  warrriy  and  felt 
something  of  the  same  kind  touch  my 
shoulder !  A  second  glance  showed  that  some 
sheep  and  cows  had  taken  refuge  on  the 
fitoep,  and  we  gained  the  store-room  safely. 
We  got  a  tin  box  packed  carefully  and 
judiciously  in  a  very  short  time,  and  did  not 
forget  to  put  in  a  case  of  lucifer-matches, 
some  candles,  and  a  few  boxes  of  tinned  fish 
and  sardines.  We  also  managed  to  cram 
in  a  ham  and  some  pots  of  jam  for  the  poor 
children ;  and  the  whole  thing  was  quite  a 
"muUum  in  parvo,"  and  presented  almost  a 
military  air  of  neatness. 

The  gentlemen  had  now  returned,  and 
commending  our  work,  caiTied  the  box  to  a 
safe  place ;  where  it  would  be  concealed,  and 


"^88     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

yet  easily  attainable  in  case  of  emergency. 
They  informed  us  that  several  of  the  "  heroes" 
had    now    returned,    but    that    many   were 
missing,    having    probably   gone   to   Ibeka; 
and  no  one  knew  what  had  become  of  the 
**  commander-in-chief."    This  aspect  of  affairs 
was  not  very  charming,   but  as  there  must 
now   have    been   upwards    of    sixty   men   in 
laager  at  the  Idutywa,  I  naturally  imagined 
they  would  decide  to  fortify  and  defend  the 
place.     We   now  requested  Magog   and  the 
other  orderly  to  remain  in  our  house  during 
the  night,  to  be  at  hand   should   anything 
occur;    and  though   it   was  not  likely  they 
would  be  able  to  sleep  much,  went  through 
the    form   of  preparing  "  shake-downs  "   for 
them  in  the  dining-room,  as  they  might  as  well 
get  as  much  rest  as  possible  after  their  late 
terrible  fatigues.    When  this  was  done,  nurse 
and  1  retired,  leaving  the  front  door  unlocked, 
so  that  the  patrols  could  give  us  information 
without  delay,  and  we  then  went  to  my  room 
in  which  lay  the   sleeping  children,  utterly 
unconscious  of  the  danger  which  surrounded 
them.      We    thought    it    wisest   to   rest   if 


Even  Big  Boys  like  Cake.  1 89 

possible,  as  we  had  nothing  more  to  do,  and 
did  not  know  what  fatigue  might  await  us ; 
but  I  had  scarcely  donned  my  dressing-gown 
when  a  firm,  manly  tread  came  up  the  steps 
and  along  the  passage,  and  I  was  informed 
that  "Commandant"  Allan  Maclean  wished  to 
speak  to  me.  I  threw  a  shawl  over  my 
dressing-gown  and  went  to  the  dining-room," 
only  too  thankful  to  know  there  was  some 
one  at  hand  whose  courage  I  could  depend 
upon,  and  upon  whose  advice  I  could  rely. 
But  what  charmed  me  most  was,  that  in  that 
moment  of  danger  and  excitement,  his  whole 
mind  and  heart  seemed  occupied  by  his  wife 
and  his  home,  and  I  wished  I  could  have 
told  Mrs.  Maclean  how  lovingly  and  kindly 
he  spoke  of  her  having  sent  him  a  "  cake," 
which  he  was  "  going  off  to  eat  at  once."  He 
declined  the  supper  which  I  offered,  and  I 
liked  him  all  the  better  for  declining,  for  I 
thought  his  wife's  cake  would  be  the  sweetest 
bonne-bouche  he  could  possibly  have. — Now 
for  business. — I  knew  Mr.  Maclean  had  been 
appointed  temporary  commandant  atldutywa, 
and  thought  he  might  have  come  to  say  our 


1 90     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

house  was  required  for  military  purposes,  so 
smoothed  the  way  by  saying,  our  house  and 
possessions  were  entirely  subject  to  his  com- 
mands in  any  way  best  adapted  for  the 
public  service.  At  the  same  time  I  objected 
to  leaving  home,  and  going  as  a  refugee  to 
Mr.  Cumming's,  and  asked  if  he  considered 
this  step  necessary?  "  Not  at  all,"  he  replied ; 
"  you  will  be  much  more  quiet  and  comfort- 
able here.  But  tell  me — are  you  afraid?" 
"  Not  in  the  least,"  I  answered. — He  seemed 
satisfied;  and  then  promised  that,  come  what 
might,  I  should  be  left  undisturbed  up  to  "  the 
last  ten  minutes." — This  happily  arranged, 
my  mind  was  more  at  rest ;  and  after  a  few 
kind  words  to  Mrs.  Gog,  who  was  quite  a 
favourite  with  them  all,  the  Commandant 
departed,  having  cheered  and  encouraged  us 
immensely. 

That  night,  the  27th  September,  passed 
away; — I  cannot  say  peacefully,  but  we  did 
not  encounter  any  of  the  predicted  horrors, — 
nor  was  our  house  burnt  down.  It  was 
impossible  to  sleep  !  Gentlemen  seemed  to 
be  talking  in  the  dining-room  and  Bachelors' 


A  Night  of  Suspense.  1 9 1 

Den  all  night,  and  the  front  door  was 
opened  every  five  minutes.  However,  nurse 
and  I  rested  a  little,  and  took  care  of  our 
poor  babies,  and  felt  more  drawn  to  each 
other  by  this  short  time  of  suspense  and 
peril,  than  by  years  of  ordinary  service  or 
friendship. 


192     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 


CHAPTER  XXy. 

A  Dreadful  Day — Fidelity  of  Kafir  Servants — Not  quite 
the  time  for  an  Argument — Departure  of  Police  Officers 
— Noble  conduct  of  Escort — Kleptomania  Rampant — 
Horrors  of  War — Farewell,  Iduty  wa ! — A  Trying  Scene 
— "  Over  hill,  over  dale  " — A  Race  with  the  Foe — Car- 
riage stopped  by  armed  Kafirs — "  On  the  Veldt " — 
Kind  Traders —  Off  again. 

When  Friday  morning  dawned  we  almost 
wished  it  were  still  night,  for  the  effort  to 
attend  to  the  ordinary  duties  of  the  household 
seemed  just  the  hardest  thing  of  all  to 
accomplish ;  and  the  brilliant  sunshine  seemed 
almost  a  mockery  to  the  misery  which  sur- 
rounded us.  But  we  had  refugees  to  enter- 
tain, bread  to  bake,  and  a  thousand  other 
things  to  think  of;  so  we  braced  ourselves 
with  a  cup  of  coffee,  and  were  quite  bright 
by  breakfast  time.  I  superintended  as  usual, 
but   my  head   was    aching   so  much  that  I 


Can  you  Leave  in  Ten  Minutes?       193 

could  not  even  take  a  cup  of  tea,  and 
nothing  but  the  early  coffee  passed  my 
lips  for  many  an  hour  after  that.  Our 
house  was  now  like  a  barrack  ;  people  coming 
and  going  without  a  word  of  apology,  and 
every  feeling  of  ordinary  etiquette  seemed 
entii'ely  set  aside.  I  went  to  my  bedroom, 
hoping  for  a  little  peace  and  quiet,  but  at  that 
moment  four  officers — the  two  Mr.  Macleans, 
Mr.  Hamilton,  and  Mr.  Cochrane — came  to  tell 
me  the  Gcalekas  in  overwhelming  numbers 
were  supposed  to  be  the  other  side  of  the 
hill,  and  I  must  prepare  to  leave  Idutywa  in 
ten  minutes.  "  Can  you  be  ready  in  that 
time  ?"  they  kindly  inquired.  "  Of  course," 
I  replied ;  "  everything  is  ready  now."  There 
was  no  time  to  ask  what  we  were  going  to 
do,  and  I  felt  perfect  confidence  that  they 
had  arranged  everything  in  the  best  way 
possible  under  the  circumstances.  I  now  went 
to  nurse ;  told  her  to  dress  herself  and  the 
children  instantly  (their  clothes  had  been  put 
out  in  readiness  previously), and  send  the  Kafir 
servants  to  bid  me  farewell.  I  had  paid  their 
wages  the  day  before,  but  the  good  girls  had 

0 


1 94     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

refused  to  leave  me  until  the  last  moment, 
and  now  clung  sobbing  to  my  dress  ;  kissing 
my  hands,  and  even  my  feet,  in  their  anxiety 
to  express  the  sorrow  and  fidelity  they  could 
not  put  into  words.  I  looked  round  hastily 
for  some  souvenir,  and  seeing  two  boxes 
of  trinkets  lying  on  the  table,  made  the 
poor  things  smile  through  their  tears  by 
pouring  the  contents  into  the  neat  little 
aprons  which  both  wore  to  please  their 
"  missis."  I  then  threw  a  blanket  over  each 
girl's  head,  and  sent  them  away  laughing 
after  all. 

The  interview  with  their  mother  was  not 
so  agreeable.  The  tiresome  creature  had, 
in  defiance  of  my  express  commands,  per- 
sisted in  washing  the  huge  bundle  she  had 
come  for  in  the  morning.  The  Kafirs  are 
most  irritating  people  in  any  case  of  emer- 
gency, as  they  persist  in  resisting  every 
attempt  at  departure  from  ordinary  routine, 
and  will  not  move  out  of  the  accustomed 
groove  for  anything  short  of  physical  per- 
suasion. Even  at  this  moment  of  anxiety 
and  hurry,  the  old  soul  actually  refused  to 


"  Oh  !  'tis  weary,  weary  waiting  /"      195 

bring  the  things,  and  harassed  me  by  calmly 
sitting  down  to  argue  the  matter  while  every 
second  of  time  was  precious;  and  we  had 
to  employ  physical  force  before  she  could  be 
induced  to  obey.  A  bundle  of  things,  soaking 
wet,  soon  appeared ;  and  was  thrown  down 
in  the  sun  to  dry.  The  newly-baked  bread 
was  'taken  from  the  oven,  wrapped  up  in  a 
cloth,  and  in  less  than  ten  minutes  we  were 
all  ready. — And  now  ensued  a  most  trying 
time  of  suspense. — I  did  not  know  what  plans 
had  been  formed,  and  as  I  was  completely 
in  the  hands  of  others,  had  nothing  to  do 
but  await  instructions.  I  was  rather  sur- 
prised, when  about  half-an-hour  passed  away 
without  any  message  coming  for  me,  and  still 
more  astonished  when,  at  the  expiration  of 
upwards  of  an  hour,  I  found  Mr.  Maclean 
sitting  on  the  doorstep,  looking  the  picture 
of  weariness,  holding  his  head  between  his 
hands.  I  begged  him  to  rest  in  the  house, 
and  inquired  how  it  was  nothing  had  yet 
been  definitely  settled.  At  this  moment 
Mr.  Allan  Maclean  rode  up  and  explained 
that    everything   was    in    a   state   of   chaos 

0  2 


196     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

and  confusion ;  that  the  traders  had  not  yet 
decided  the  knotty  question  as  to  whether 
Idutywa  was  to  be  abandoned  or  de- 
fended ;  that  he  could  no  longer  wait,  and 
must  be  off  at  once.  He  was  in  a  great 
hurry,  but  was  kind  enough  to  cord  some 
boxes  for  me  even  then;  and  dismounted 
again  to  pick  up  my  little  boy  who  had  fallen 
down  on  the  ground.  So  kind,  so  brave,  so 
calm,  so  collected — he  was  quite  one's  ideal 
of  a  soldier,  and  I  wished  South  Africa  might 
possess  many  such  sons  to  raise  her  standard 
and  elevate  her  into  a  great  and  brave  nation. 
The  other  brother  soon  left,  and  I  then  felt 
I  had  lost  my  best  friends ;  for  few  others 
seemed  to  be  capable  of  anything  but  to 
wander  about,  talking  to,  and  terrifying  every- 
body else. 

When  two  hours  had  passed  away,  nurse 
and  I  began  to  resign  ourselves  to  the  idea 
that  patience  had  better  be  cultivated,  so  we 
fed  the  children,  and  then  sat  down  in  the 
verandah  to  wait.  I  now  saw  "  Magog  "  ap- 
proaching, and  seeing  I  must  think  for 
myself,    decided   upon   a   course    of    action. 


Conduct  of  Escort.  1 9  7 

He  told  me  tlie  popular  feeling  was  in  favour 
of  a  flight  &n  masse  to  Blythwood  Seminary, 
a  strongly-built  mission-house  and  station 
in  the  heart  of  Fingoland,  (the  country 
belonging  to  our  allies).  Of  course  I  opposed 
this  idea,  feeling  our  country  had  already  lost 
prestige  in  the  eyes  of  the  natives,  and  that 
no  effort  or  sacrifice  was  too  great  to  recover 
it.  Had  my  husband  been  there,  I  felt 
certain  he  would  have  decided  to  stay; 
and  as  his  wife,  it  was  my  duty  to  remain. 
At  the  same  time  I  felt  my  position  keenly, 
for,  in  case  I  decided  for  the  worst,  what 
should  I  say  to  that  husband,  should  his 
children  perish  ? — I  was  now  greatly  gratified 
by  finding  that  our  escort  were  quite  on  my 
side,  and  willing  to  stand  by  me  to  the  last. 
I  was  much  touched  when  they  put  their 
lives  in  my  hands ;  saying  they  would  abide  by 
my  decision,  and  obey  my  orders  to  the  death, 
and  that  they  left  the  responsibility  entirely 
to  me  !  So  much  fidelity ;  far  more  than  I 
expected  or  deserved,  was  indeed  a  comfort 
in  that  time  of  trial ;  and  I  felt  I  must  leave 
the  matter  in  higher  hands  than  mine,  as  the 


198     Fi'iends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

responsibility  of  their  lives  was  too  great. 
So  I  told  them  that  if  they  could  induce  four 
other  men  to  join  them,  making  their  number 
up  to  six,  we  would  do  our  best  to  defend  the 
Idutywa,  though  every  other  soul  should 
leave  it.  They  went  away,  and  for  many 
weary  hours  did  everything  in  their  power 
to  animate  the  crowd  with  courage,  and 
induce  them  to  remain.  All  in  vain  !  every 
hour  increased  the  difficulty  ;  for  the  men, 
excited  already  by  the  danger  of  our  situation, 
were  fortifying  themselves  with  "  Dutch  cou- 
rage," and  became  less  and  less  amenable  to 
reason. — And  now  ensued  a  fearful  scene, 
which  I  would  fain  forget. — Would  that  some 
other  pen  had  undertaken  the  task  of  por- 
traying the  horrors  of  that  dreadful  day  ! 
Nothing  but  the  wish  to  bring  before  my 
countrymen  and  countrywomen  a  faithful 
picture  of  the  state  of  things  which  existed 
in  South  Africa  at  that  time  would  induce 
me  to  draw  the  veil,  but  I  will  spare  my 
readers  as  much  as  I  can,  and  beg  them  to 
imagine  the  rest  for  themselves.  Some  men 
came  up  and  asked  me  for  the  key  of  our 


Unexpected  Consideration.  199 

store-room,  pretending  they  were  going  to 
pack  a  supply  of  flour,  sugar,  and  other 
provisions  for  my  benefit,  should  I  be  com- 
pelled to  share  the  flight.  I  was  overcome 
with  gratitude  at  this  unexpected  piece  of 
consideration ;  and  though  my  head  was 
aching  so  violently  that  I  could  hardly  speak 
or  st^nd,  I  managed  to  walk  to  the  store-room 
in  order  to  thank  them  specially,  and  beg 
them  to  take  what  they  pleased  for  themselves, 
after  they  had  provided  for  me.  I  thought 
their  manner  was  very  odd,  when  they 
laughed  at  each  other  in  a  curious  way ;  but, 
putting  it  down  to  ignorance,  quietly  watched 
them  helping  themselves  to  sides  of  bacon, 
hams,  &c.,  and  dipping  into  the  sugar  and 
flour  barrels  with  no  measured  hand.  I 
need  scarcely  say  that  they  must  have  mis- 
understood my  instructions,  as  on  my  arrival 
at  Blythwood  I  found  myself  a  pauper ; 
without  so  much  as  a  crumb  of  bread  to 
eat,  while  every  one  around  was  eating 
ham,  &c.,  without  offering  me  any,  or  re- 
membering that  many  had  now  a  chance 
to  assist  one  at  whose  table  they  had  eaten 


200     Friends  and  Foes  m  the  Transkei. 

many  a  meal.  But  this  was  not  the  worst. 
They  soon  discovered  some  ale,  which 
my  husband  had  taken  from  the  cellar 
to  supply  the  house  until  his  return  ;  (most 
fortunately  they  did  not  discover  the  cellar 
itself,  which  was  concealed  under  the  floor 
of  the  dining-room.)  And  now  I  had  to 
see  my  little  home  turned  into  a  drinking- 
hall !  Man  after  man  arrived  (nearly  all 
strangers  to  me),  to  eat  and  drink  at  their 
will.  They  spilt  the  gravy  over  my  table- 
cloth and  made  a  fearful  noise,  passing  me 
on  the  stoep  without  a  word  of  thanks,  and 
soon  the  house  was  no  place  for  a  woman, 
and  I  was  obliged  to  remain  outside  in  the 
verandah,  as  the  sun  was  blazing  on  the  veldt. 
Much  of  this  disorder  was  due  to  the  fact  of 
there  being  at  that  moment  no  magistrate 
at  Idutywa,  Mr.  Gumming  having  been  re- 
placed by  the  Commander  of  the  Corps  of 
Police,  who  had  not  yet  arrived.  There  was 
no  authority  to  appeal  to,  and  I  could  only 
feel  thankful  I  had  the  support  of  my  brave 
and  faithful  white  servant,  who  never  left  me 
for  an  instant,  and  did  all  she  could  to  quell 


A  Courteous  Trader.  201 

the  uproar  and  keep  the  men  in  good  humour. 
I  was  now  startled  by  the  apparition  of  one 
of  the  refugees  we  had  sheltered,  who,  in  a 
very  excited  voice,  exclaimed,  "  Mrs.  Pri- 
chard,  you  are  a  coward  !  my  mission  is  to 
heal  wounds,  not  to  make  them ;  I  have  no 
quarrel  with  the  Kafirs,  they  are  great  friends 
of  mine;  it  is  you  who  ought  to  make  a 
stand  against  them."  I  was  too  ill  and  weak 
to  reply,  but  Mrs.  Gog,  who  saw  the  man 
was  not  quite  himself,  pacified  him,  and 
gradually  persuaded  him  to  go  away.  This 
sort  of  thing — only  getting  worse  and  worse — 
actually  went  on  until  sunset,  when  Magog 
came  to  say  it  was  simply  impossible  to  get 
another  man  to  join  in  the  defence,  and  that, 
as  a  friend,  he  advised  my  joining  the  party 
who  were  now  really  going  to  start  for 
Blythwood,  after  wasting  all  the  invaluable 
hours  of  daylight  in  gossip,  groans,  and  talk  I 
He  told  me  that,  as  my  husband  had  taken 
away  the  government  wagon,  and  we  had  no 
carriage  of  our  own,  a  very  gentlemanly 
trader,  a  Mr.  C F ,  had  kindly  pro- 
mised to  take  the  elder  child  and  myself  in  his 


202     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

buggy  (an  open  sort  of  gig),  and  that  another 
gentleman  had  been  good  enough  to  consent 
to  take  charge  of  the  nurse  and  baby,  who 
would  travel  in  his  wife's  wagon.  The  idea 
of  separation  from  my  baby  and  faithful 
nurse  at  such  a  crisis  almost  stunned  me  with 
horror,  but  I  could  not  dictate,  and  had  to 
submit;  physical  pain  and  long  fasting 
having  diminished  my  powers  of  resistance. 
They  reassured  me  by  saying  the  wagons 
ought  to  arrive  at  Blythwood  "  to-morrow  at 
latest,"  and  added,  that  they  would  be  pro- 
tected by  a  force  of  police,  and  be  far  safer 
than  we  should.  *'  Magog  now  conducted 
me  to  the  other  house,  which  I  found  in  a 
state  of  confusion,  greater  if  possible  than 
our  own. — Men  were  arming  and  gesticulating, 
women  weeping  and  children  crying,  and  the 
place  was  completely  changed. — I  gathered  a 
tiny  rose,  the  only  sweet  thing  in  that  sad 
scene,  and  took  it  away  as  a  souvenir 
of  Idutywa,  giving  one  look  at  the  home 
I  should  never  see  again. — And  now  I  must 
bid  adieu  to  good  Johanna,  and  kiss  my  baby 
for  perhaps   the  last  time.      "  May  Heaven 


A  Race  with  the  Foe.  203 

protect  you  till  we  meet  again,"  was  all  I 
could  whisper ;  and  in  another  moment  I  was 
seated  in  the  buggy,  with  little  Henry  on  my 
lap,  and  we  had  dashed  off  at  a  fearful  pace. 
We  were  preceded  by  a  mule  wagon  con- 
veying Mrs.  Gumming  and  her  children,  and 
followed  by  the  escort  and  several  other 
gentlemen  on  horseback  (among  whom  was 
Mr.  Budge,  nurse's  sweetheart),  all  armed 
to  the  teeth  and  fine,  strong  men.  The 
horses   were  very  fresh,   spirited   creatures, 

and  required  all  Mr.  F 's  skill  and  strength 

to  hold  them  in.  We  soon  left  the  main 
road  and  dashed,  "  over  hill,  over  dale,"  at  a 
terrible  pace.  The  sun  went  down,  and  now 
a  bitter  wind  arose  which  soon  blew  away 
my  hat.  1  longed  to  throw  a  shawl  over  my 
head,  but  had  not  a  hand  to  spare  or  a 
moment  to  lose,  for  we  were  driving  for  our 
lives ; — it  was  a  race  with  the  Foe,  and  the 
prize  was  Life  !  The  carriage  swayed  to  and 
fro ;  the  seat  was  uncomfortably  high,  and 
it  was  almost  more  than  I  could  do  at  times 
to  hold  the  child  upon  my  lap.  Not  a  word 
was  exchanged  for  miles;  our  kind  charioteer 


204     Fi'iends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

had  enough  occupation  for  head  and  hands  ! 
The  day  before  he  was  a  rich  man,  and  was 
actually  on  his  way  down  to  the  colony, 
intending  to  retire  from  business,  having 
made  a  comfortable  fortune,  when  he  heard 
that  his  store  and  stock  had  been  entirely 
destroyed. 

*'  Fifty  pounds  in  the  world,  and  the  coat 
on  my  back  !  "  he  laughed  at  me ;  "  but  I 
know  my  wife  and  little  girl  are  safe  at 
Queenstown  by  this  time,  so  we  must  just 
climb  up  the  hill  again;  that's  all !  " 

Nothing  could  exceed  his  kindness  and 
consideration  for  my  position,  and  he  tried  to 
put  me  at  my  ease  by  reminding  me  of  some 
very  small  act  of  courtesy  on  our  part  a 
few  days  before,  which  I  had  completely 
forgotten,  and  which  did  not  deserve  a  single 
word  of  thanks. 

And  now  we  find  that  we  have  got  sepa- 
rated from  the  rest  of  the  party,  as  they 
find  it  impossible  to  keep  up  at  the  furious 
rate  we  are  going ;  and  for  one  second  we 
halt,  and  glance  around.  We  were  apparently 
alone ;    on   the   top   of    grassy   hills   which 


An  Exciting  Episode.  205 

stretched  for  miles  in  every  direction,  and 
without  a  tree  or  a  rock  by  way  of  a  beacon ; — 
we  seemed  to  have  got  on  to  the  tip  top  of  the 
world,  and  the  very  vultures  soared  below 
us.  But  look  !  quick !  we  are  far  from  being 
alone ! — on  the  contrary,  we  are  surrounded 
by  a  group  of  armed  Kafirs  in  their  native 
war-paint  and  paraphernalia ;  armed  to  the 
teeth,  and  determined  to  arrest  our  progress. 
They  stop  the  horses,  who  try  to  dash 
through,  and  foam  and  fret  at  this  delay  ;  and 
their  excited  gestures,  fierce  voices,  and 
angry  language,  tell  us  to  prepare  for  the 
worst.  My  new  friend  gives  me  one  look ; — 
pale  as  death,  but  quiet  and  composed ;  he 
never  loses  command  of  the  reins,  and  mutters 
hoarsely, — 

"  I'm  afraid  we  have  no  chance ;  can  you 
understand  what  they  say  ?  " 

I  shake  my  head  sadly  in  reply,  and  crush 
down  my  child  under  my  dress,  to  hide  him 
from  the  crowd  of  warriors  who  now  push 
their  hands  into  the  carriage,  and  ever  press, 
closer  and  closer,  as  if  they  wished  to  crush 
us   to   death. — What   is   this   mesmeric   in- 


2o6     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

fluence  which  is  stealing  over  me  ? — I  begin 
to  feel  a  strange  fascination  in  watching  the 
ever-closing  circle  of  hideous  and  fantastic 
figures  around  me  !  How  many  minutes  will 
it  be  before  that  man  pierces  my  heart  with  the 
assegai  which  seems  already  pointed  towards 
me  ?  All  sense  of  fear  or  dread  of  suffering 
is  mercifully  spared  me,  and  I  am  only  aware 
of  the  nervous  sensation  one  goes  through 
during  the  detestable  process  of  being  photo- 
graphed, or  the  equally  uncomfortable  effort 
of  waiting  for  a  gun  to  be  fired.  Mechanically 
I  begin  to  count,  soiio  voce, — one — two — 
three — oh,  for  heaven's  sake,  put  us  quickly 
out  of  our  misery  ! — when  the  rapid  gallop  of 
horses'  feet  is  heard ;  and  on  the  arrival  of 
our  own  armed  escort,  the  Kafirs  fall  back. — 
We  shall  never  know  whether  they  were 
Friends  or  Foes;  they  did  not  look  very 
affectionately  at  us,  and  only  allowed  us  to 
proceed  after  they  had  been  favoured  with  a 
very  rose-coloured  version  of  the  Guadana 
affair,  which  was,  we  thought,  excusable 
under  the  circumstances.  A  hurried  entreaty 
to  our  friends  to  keep  up  if  they  could  at  any 


The  Carriage  is  Overtur?ted.         207 

price,  and  away  we  dash,  but,  alas  !  only  to 
lose  our  way  in  every  direction ;  and  by  mid- 
niglit  we  are  in  pitch  darkness,  and  have  no 
idea  how  near  we  are  to  the  enemy.  Crash, 
crunch  !  and  the  horses'  heels  are  almost  on 
our  faces,  while  we  are  all  hurled  violently 
forward;  for  the  carriage  has  dashed  over 
into  'a  ravine — a  bed  of  a  river — something 
or  other  very  steep,  and  a  shriek  rises  from 
poor,  little  Henry's  hitherto  uncomplaining 
lips. 

"  Can  you  manage  to  crawl  out  ?  I  am 
afraid  I  can't  help  you;  the  horses  are  so 
restive,  and  I  can  see  there's  no  water  in  the 
sluit?" 

"  Oh !  yes.  I  am  all  right ;  no  bones 
broken,"  I  reply,  and  scramble  out;  feehng 
first  a  rock  and  then  some  sand,  on  which  I 
lie  on  my  face,  while  I  feel  for  the  poor  child, 
and  drag  him  out  by  the  heels.  He  is  as 
good  as  possible,  and  leans  patiently  against 
my  shoulder,  while  we  sit  upon  a  stone  and 
try  to  see  where  we  are.  But  now  the  gen- 
tlemen ride  up ;  and  some  dismount  and  come 
to  our  assistance,  while  the  others  look  after 


2o8     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Tj'anskei. 

their  horses.  Some  kind  soul  drags  me  up 
a  bank,  saying  in  tones  a  mother  might  use 
to  her  child,  "  You  can  never  know  how 
sorry  we  all  are  for  you,  Mrs.  Prichard." 
Another  good  man  carries  my  boy,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  we  find  we  are  in  close  proximity 
to  a  Kafir  kraal ;  but  whether  belonging  to 
Friends  or  Foes,  we  know  not.  The  gen- 
tlemen now  attempt  to  mend  the  carriage, 
and  as  this  promises  to  be  a  long  business, 
I  drag  my  weary,  shaken  limbs,  slowly 
crawling  along  the  grass ;  until  I  reach  the 
gentlemen,  to  whisper  a  request  for  the 
carriage  cushions  and  some  wraps.  These 
being  promptly  brought,  I  make  a  comfort- 
able bed  "on  the  veldt,"  and,  wrapping  my 
child  in  a  warm  shawl,  lie  down  by  his  side 
to  rest. — That  quiet  time  under  the  stars, 
was  the  first  peaceful  moment  I  had  enjoyed 
for  days;  and  the  sweet  influence  of  the 
sleeping  child,  who  lay  so  tranquilly  in  my 
arms,  soothed  and  strengthened  my  shaken 
nerves. — The  blue  sky  above  was  the  loveliest 
of  canopies,  and  the  bright  stars  twinkled 
and  sparkled  away  so  merrily  that  they  were 


Poetry  versus  Prose.  209 

most  cheerful  company.  Under  sucli  influ- 
ences, who  could  think  mucli  of  the  war- 
cloud's  around  us,  or  wish  to  remain  long 
away  from  that  realm  of  peace  and  love  ? — 
This  was  the  'poetical  side  of  the  affair ;  the 
prose  version  was  not  so  agreeable !  The 
night  air,  (winter  time,  remember ;  3000  feet 
above  the  sea,)  was  bitterly  cold  ;  and  though 
I  had  now  enveloped  my  head  in  a  shawl, 
my  chest  was  very  sore,  and  I  was  rapidly 
losing  the  small  remnant  of  voice  which  was 
left  me  after  the  vocal  fatigues  of  the  day. 
I  was  burning  with  fever  and  shivering  from 
cold  at  one  and  the  same  time,  and  won- 
dered absently  what  would  happen  if  I  were 
to  have  a  serious  illness,  and  who  would  take 
care  of  the  children.  These  meditations  were 
interrupted  by  one  of  the  gentlemen,  who 
came  to  tell  me  they  had  found  out  where 
we  were. — That  we  were  safe  in  Fingoland, 
but  that,  as  it  would  be  impossible  to  reach 
Blythwood  that  night,  we  should  content 
ourselves  by  trying  to  get  to  a  trader's  shop, 
which  could  not  be  more  than  three  miles 
away.     Greatly  cheered  by  this  good  news,  I 

p 


2IO     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

gladly  returned  to  the  carriage,  and  with  some 
difficulty,  but  without  any  adventure,  we 
gradually  arrived  at  our  destination.  '  The 
good  folks  there  were  speedily  aroused, 
and,  instead  of  displaying  annoyance  at  our 
intrusion,  greeted  us  in  the  very  kindest  way, 
taking  in  the  whole  of  our  large  party  for 
the  night.  The  shop  belonged  to  some  Mr. 
Allan,  but  there  seemed  to  be  two  brothers ; — 
I  remember  it  all  like  a  dream,  and  should 
not  know  their  faces,  I  fear,  if  I  saw  them 
again,  but  their  hospitality  and  warm  wel- 
come I  can  never  forget ;  and  I  write  these 
pages  in  the  earnest  hope  that  they  may 
chance  to  see  them  and  learn  that  I  really 
did  appreciate  their  goodness  to  us. 

They  led  us  through  an  enormous  store 
into  a  little  back  room,  with  a  deal  table  in 
the  centre,  and  settles  of  the  backwoods' 
order  by  way  of  chairs. — We  had  not  been  one 
moment  in  the  room,  before  Mrs.  Gumming' s 
children  and  my  little  boy  were  playing 
"wolf"  under  the  table  as  naturally  as  if 
they  had  lived  in  the  house  all  their  lives, 
and  were  accustomed  to  sitting  up  until  two 


Welcome  Hospitality.  2 1 1 

in  the  morning  every  day !  Mr.  Allan  now  laid 
(I  was  going  to  say,  the  cloth,  but  I  should 
say)  the  table,  for  supper ;  bringing  bread, 
biscuits,  butter,  and  his  last  pot  of  raspberry 
jam  for  the  children ;  and,  to  our  great  joy, 
boiling  the  kettle  and  making  a  huge  jorum 
of  tea.  The  children  much  appreciated  these 
luxuries,  and  ate  ravenously,  poor  little 
dears  I  but  we  grown-ups  were  too  sick  at 
heart  to  swallow  a  mouthful,  though  all 
made  the  effort  in  order  to  please  our  kind 
young  hosts.  The  tea  was,  however,  an 
unspeakable  comfort,  and  we  were  more 
grateful  for  this  impromptu  meal  than  many 
a  guest  is  for  a  Lord  Mayor's  dinner  !  After 
supper  Mr.  Allan  showed  us  another  room  in 
which  the  ladies  and  children  were  to  sleep, 
and  provided  us  with  lovely  new  blankets 
out  of  the  shop,  to  convert  into  mattr asses 
and  coverlets.  The  gentlemen  had  to  rest 
upon  the  long  counter  in  the  store,  but  I  fear 
they  did  not  sleep  much  ;  nor  could  we  ladies 
do  any  thing  but  talk.  The  children,  how- 
ever, were  soon  asleep,  and  seemed  to  think 
the  whole  affair  a  most  charming  picnic,  and 
p  2 


212     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

that  it  was  excessively  grand  to  go  to  bed 
with  their  clothes  on.  I  stopped  talking  at 
last  from  sheer  want  of  voice,  and  fell  into  a 
doze,  which  lasted  until  daybreak.  About  five 
a.m.  Magog  brought  us  some  nice,  hot  cocoa, 
and  told  us  to  get  up  at  once  as  we  were  to 
start  immediately.  I  tried  to  reply,  but 
found  my  voice  had  completely  vanished,  and 
I  could  not  even  whisper  in  anything  ap- 
proaching to  a  ladylike  manner.  I  also  felt 
as  if  every  limb  had  been  upon  the  rack,  and 
was  altogether  so  cramped  and  feverish  and 
miserable,  that  it  was  difficult  even  to  sum- 
mon the  *'  nods  and  becks  and  wreathed 
smiles,"  that  had  to  do  duty  for  words.  We 
were  soon  ready ;  our  kind  hosts  insisting 
upon  our  sitting  down  to  breakfast  before 
we  started,  and  evidently  quite  distressed 
because  we  did  such  scanty  justice  to  their 
good  fare.  >     ^ 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Morning  Journey  to  Blythwood — A  Cordial  Welcome — 
Hardships  of  War — More  Kindness — Arrival  of  the 
Wagons. 

"We  started  about  seven  o'clock,  and  at  first 
the  air  was  very  cold ;  but  soon  the  delicious 
sunshine  appeared  to  gladden  our  hearts  and 
cheer  us  on  our  way.  Of  course  my  mental 
thermometer  rose  at  least  fifty  degrees  at 
once,  and  I  was  soon  enjoying  the  very  beau- 
tiful hill-scenery  by  which  we  were  on  all 
sides  surrounded.  There  were  several  little 
streams  to  cross,  and  it  was  pleasant  to 
descend  from  the  buggy  and  go  over  the 
stepping-stones,  and  I  should  really  have 
enjoyed  the  whole  thing  very  much  had  I 
not  begun  to  feel  excessively  nervous  about 
our  reception  at  Blythwood,  and  I  sin- 
cerely wished  it  could  still  have  been  my 
lot  to  have  remained  in  my  home  and  be  in  a 


214     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

position  to  offer,  instead  of  ask  for,  shelter 
and  hospitality. 

I  now  remembered  that  the  handsome, 
Scotch  lassie,  who  had  been  my  sister-passen- 
ger in  the  "  European,"  from  Cape  Town  to 
East  London,  had  told  me  she  was  going  to 
keep  house  for  her  elder  brother,  at  a  mission- 
station  called  "  Blythwood,"  and  it  flashed 
upon  me  that  possibly  this  nice  Httle  lady 
might  be  the  Miss  Macdonald  whose  name  was 
now  on  every  lip,  for  was  she  not  to  be  our 
hostess  ?  On  inquiry  I  found  this  to  be  the 
case,  and  the  reflection  comforted  me  some- 
what, as  it  was  far  pleasanter  than  to  have 
to  encounter  a  perfect  stranger.  I  also 
hoped  that  the  wagons  would  bring  my  little 
stock  of  "  rations "  during  the  afternoon, 
so  that  I  might  not  have  to  ask  for  more 
than  one  meal. — Occupied  by  these  reflec- 
tions, I  did  not  notice  the  scenery  until  we 
suddenly  descended  a  hill,  and  saw  before  us 
a  small  river,  on  the  opposite  side  of  which 
rose   the   handsome    stone    building    which 

Mr.  F informed  me  was  the  Kafir  College 

at  Blythwood.     I  was  not  prepared  to  find 


Blythwood.  2 1 5 

such  an  imposing  edifice  in  that  lonely  land, 
and  was  glad  to  see  it  was  so  strongly  built 
and  well  constructed  ;  we  could  quite  imagine 
its  being  converted  into  an  impromptu 
fortress  at  once  in  case  of  emergency.  I 
beheld  a  very  long,  stone  building,  with  a 
lofty  entrance  in  the  centre,  and  two  rows 
of  windows,  which  pierced  the  building  on 
either  side.  Above  this  was  another  row, 
which  extended  without  intermission  in  one 
unbroken  line,  and  the  whole  effect  was 
good  and  enduring.  At  the  present  moment 
the  appearance  was  somewhat  marred  by 
the  fact  that  the  edifice  was  not  quite 
completed,  and  it  was  also  disfigured  by 
the  wooden  barricades  which  protected 
every  window  in  front  of  the  house.  Magog 
now  rode  on  to  prepare  the  Principal 
for  our  arrival,  and  returned  with  the  good 
news  that  Mrs.  Eustace  (wife  of  Colonel 
Eustace)  was  there  already,  and  was  ready  to 
greet  me  in  the  kindest  way;  while  little 
Miss  Macdonald  seemed  quite  pleased  at  the 
thought  of  meeting  again,  and  recalling  our 
pleasant   voyage   in   the    "  European."     My 


2 1 6     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

kind  new  acquaintance,  Mr.  F ,  now  sur- 
rendered his  charge  into  the  hands  of  others, 
and  I  greatly  deplored  the  loss  of  voice  which 
prevented  my  thanking  him  as  I  wished.  I 
can  only  say,  his  great  courtesy  and  kind- 
ness will  never  be  forgotten  either  by  my 
husband  or  myself,  and  no  one  rejoiced 
more  than  we  when  we  heard  that  his  energy 
had  retrieved  his  broken  fortunes,  and  that 
he  was  again  a  successful  man. — ^Magog  now 
took  me  into  the  house  and  presented  me  to 
Mrs.  Eustace,  whose  charming  manner,  and 
bright,  cheerful  expression  won  my  heart  at 
once ;  her  bewitchingly  sweet  and  clear  voice 
was  giving  me  the  most  delightful  of  wel- 
comes, and  I  felt  I  was  indeed  fortunate  to  have 
such  a  thorough  ladij^  in  every  best  sense  of 
the  word,  in  the  house.  Mrs.  Eustace  now 
led  me  into  the  large  room,  which  had  been 
temporarily  converted  into  a  reception-room 
for  the  women  and  children  who  were  arriving 
from  all  parts  of  the  country ;  some  in  a  state 
of  destitution  equal  to  my  own.  She  then 
startled  me  with  the  inquiry,  if  I  would  like 
some  breakfast  ?      Breakfast !    I  thought  it 


I  join  the  "  Band  of  Hope''  2 1 7 

was  dinner-time.  The  fact  was,  we  had  gone 
through  so  much  already  that  day,  that  the 
time  had  passed  slowly,  and  I  was  surprised 
to  find  it  was  only  about  nine  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  Mrs.  Eustace  skimmed  away  to 
the  kitchen  and  soon  brought  back  some  tea 
and  bread  and  butter,  which  Henry  and  I 
much  enjoyed.  It  was  the  first  solid  food  I 
had  taken  for  nearly  forty  hours,  but  I  could 
Dot  swallow  much,  as  my  throat  was  very 
painful.  Mrs.  Eustace  seemed  quite  at  home 
already,  and  infused — or  did  her  best  to 
infuse — brightness  and  courage  in  every 
direction.  Some,  however,  refused  to  be 
comforted,  and  soon  the  two  sets  divided, 
the  melancholy  mortals  being  left  to  weep 
at  will  on  one  side  of  the  room,  while  those 
who  joined  Mrs.  Eustace's  "  band  of  hope  " 
preferred  the  sunny  side,  and  clustered  about, 
laughing  over  our  various  adventures,  and 
relating  the  experiences  which  had  befallen 
us  all  during  the  two  previous  days,  (27th  and 
28th  of  September). 

Mr.  Macdonald,  the  Principal,  now  entered 
the  room,  and  was  greeted  with  smiles  on  his 


2 1 8     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

right  hand  and  by  tears  and  sighs  on  his  left. 
He  seemed  to  prefer  sunshine  to  cloud,  for, 
on  apportioning  to  each  lady  her  apartment 
and  position  in  the  house,  we  found,  to  our 
amusement,  that  smiles  had  the  best  of  it, 
and  dear  Mrs.  Eustace  at  once  took  possession 
of  the  very  large  room,  at  that  moment  used 
as  a  drawing-room,  while  a  most  charming 
apartment  at  the  end  of  the  corridor  was 
allotted  to  me.  I  rather  pitied  Mr.  Mac- 
donald,  for  his  position  was  somewhat  trying ; 
rival  claims  appeared  on  every  hand,  and  he 
must  have  known  that,  however  he  decided, 
he  must  annoy  some.  He  did  not,  however, 
allow  himself  to  be  influenced  or  disturbed 
in  any  way,  and  having  quietly  but  firmly 
made  his  own  arrangements,  went  upstairs 
to  divide  the  vacant  space  there  among  the 
families  of  the  trading  class  who  crowded 
every  yard  of  available  space.  Our  discom- 
forts and  trials  were  as  nothing  in  comparison 
to  theirs.  Only  a  small  portion  of  the  upper 
story  had  been  yet  partitioned  into  rooms,  as 
the  building  was  not  finished,  and  the  poor 
women  had   to  put  up  shawls,   &c.,  to  en- 


Nothing  to  Cook  !  219 

sure  privacy.  People  were  crowded  closely, 
and  it  was  impossible  to  put  less  than  two  or 
three  families  into  one  room.  The  staircase 
was  not  yet  made,  and  they  had  to  come  and 
go  by  means  of  a  ladder,  up  and  down  which 
poor  neglected  children  scrambled  all  day, 
while  their  overwrought  mothers,  baby  in 
arm^,  vainly  endeavoured  to  attend  to  every- 
thing at  once,  and  to  carry  on  the  ordinary 
avocations  of  life  without  the  most  ordinary 
appliances  !  No  one  had  ventured  to  add  their 
servants  to  the  list  of  claimants  for  house- 
room  and  hospitality,  so  we  all  had  to  do 
everything  as  best  we  could,  and  turn  one's 
hand  to  whatever  was  most  needed.  I, 
however,  had  nothing  to  cook;  and  as  Mrs. 
Eustace  had  kindly  invited  me  to  share 
the  leg  of  mutton  she  was  fortunate  enough 
to  have  obtained  for  that  day's  dinner,  I 
confined  my  labours  to  arranging  my  room, 
dusting  the  furniture  kindly  lent  for  my  use 
by  Miss  Macdonald,  and  sweeping  the  floor 
with  the  one  long  broom  Miss  Macdonald 
supplied  to  the  ladies ;  other  appliances 
had,   of   course,   also   to   be  used  in   turn. 


2  20     FHends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

and  this  wasted  a  great  deal  of  time  and 
caused  some  unavoidable  annoyance.  Magog 
and  tlie  other  policeman,  whom  I  will  call 
"  Mr.  Bird,"  were  most  kind  in  assisting  me ; 
bringing  water  from  the  river,  amusing 
Henry,  and  telling  me  they  had  lighted  a 
camp  fire  on  the  veldt  on  which  they  had 
cooked  something,  (their  rations,  I  suppose,) 
which  they  vainly  implored  me  to  eat.  I  now 
found  to  my  horror  that  I  was  rapidly  becom- 
ing very  ill,  and  the  effort  of  using  the  long 
broom  was  much  greater  than  I  had  expected. 
I  found,  too,  that  one  requires  practice  even 
to  sweep  a  floor  properly,  and  my  first  per- 
formance was  not  exactly  the  success  I  had 
confidently  expected  it  would  be !  However, 
I  "  went  at  it "  again  after  dinner,  and  got  on 
so  much  better  that  I  looked  forward  to  sur- 
prising Mrs.  Gog  by  the  announcement  that 
I  was  independent  of  her  services  so  far 
as  housework  was  concerned  !  Little  Miss 
Macdonald  brought  me  some  tea  and  sand- 
wiches with  her  own  hands,  and  I  should 
have  been  entirely  comfortable  had  I  not 
been   harassed    by  the  thought  that    I  was 


Cold  Water  Cure.  221 

consuming  food  which  could  ill  be  spared 
by  those  who  so  generously  supplied  it,  and 
weighed  down  with  heavy  anxiety  at  the 
non-arrival  of  the  wagons,  especially  as  I 
saw  this  anxiety  reflected  in  the  countenances 
of  every  one  else.  I  now  had  another  trial 
which,  for  the  time,  banished  other  painful 
thoughts ;  my  little  boy  became  feverish  and 
shghtly  delirious,  and  was  seized  with  an 
attack  of  croup.  I  had  nothing  whatever 
at  hand  to  relieve  him  except  cold  water, 
which  he  drank  eagerly,  and  at  last  his 
struggles  and  delirium  obliged  me  to  summon 
Magog  to  my  asistance,  as  I  could  no  longer 
control  the  child. 

I  now  found  the 'gentle  Giant  the  kindest 
and  tenderest  of  nurses.  He  soothed  and 
composed  the  little  invalid,  actually  un- 
dressed him  with  his  own  hands  (as  the 
poor  child  had  taken  a  feverish  dishke  to 
me,  and  would  not  allow  me  to  touch  him) 
and  put  him  to  bed;  not  leaving  until  all 
danger  was  over,  and  the  poor,  little  refugee 
was  forgetting  the  excitement  of  the  previous 
day  in  refreshing  sleep.      I  now  lay  down 


2  2  2     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

myself,  as  T  had  no  candles  and  no  matches, 
but  I  was  very  ill  all  night,  and  when  a  gentle 
tap  was  heard  at  the  door  next  morning, 
could  hardly  summon  sufficient  strength  to 
open  it. — Outside  stood  a  lady  with  a  sheet 
of  paper,  an  envelope,  pen,  and  a  miniature 
bottle  of  ink  in  her  hand;  she  told  me  the 
post  was  going  at  once,  and  would  I  like  to 
write  to  my  friends  in  England,  (evidently 
thinking  my  husband  was  no  more)  to  say 
where  I  was  ? — I  must  write  very  few  words, 
as  we  must  be  careful  with  the  ink,  and  the 
pen  was  wanted  by  somebody  else  ! 

I  stood  by  the  mantelpiece  and  scribbled  a 
few  lines  to  my  mother,  but  violent  shiver- 
ing fits  now  came  on,  and  I  threw  myself 
on  the  bed,  just  as  I  was,  in  my  dress 
and  jacket,  little  thinking  three  days  and 
nights  would  pass  before  I  rose  again.  I 
was  practically  speechless,  in  agonies  of  pain, 
and  almost  fainting  with  weakness  and 
utter  collapse  of  the  system.  Some  kind 
lady  soon  discovered  my  plight,  and  all  came 
in  the  most  unselfish  way  to  my  assistance ! 
Pretty  Miss  Gilbert  (who  had  visited  us  at 


Foraging  Party.  223 

Idutywa),  dressed  and  took  care  of  Henry; 
swept  and  dusted  my  room,  and  did  every- 
thing in  the  gentle,  sweet  way  which  made 
her  so  loveable  and  winning  !  Bonnie  Miss 
Macdonald  brought  me  tray  after  tray  of 
the  most  temptingly-arranged  food,  and  was 
deeply  distressed  at  my  lack  of  appetite, 
while,  Mrs.  Eustace — was — Mrs.  Eustace  !  I 
can  offer  her  no  higher  praise !  It  was  per- 
haps fortunate  that  I  could  not  eat  much,  for 
we  were  now  beginning  to  be  terribly  short 
of  provisions.  Some  of  the  police  now  volun- 
teered to  go  to  Mr.  Barnett's  and  try  to 
bring  over  a  wagon  of  provisions  to  be  divided 
between  four  ladies,  of  whom  I  was  one. 
They  did  succeed,  and  brought  back  safely 
some  barrels  of  flour  and  sugar,  also  some 
tea,  and  a  few  other  things,  and  the  traders 
upstairs  consented  to  sell  us  Swiss  milk 
and  other  things  of  tliat  kind,  at  exor- 
bitant prices,  and  after  a  good  deal  of 
persuasion.  Their  creed  seemed  to  be  of  a 
nature  so  exquisitely  plain  and  simple,  that  it 
was  entirely  comprised  in  the  maxim  that 
"  Charity  begins  at  home."     They  therefore 


2  24     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

made  up  tlieir  minds  not  to  sell  until  prices 
rose  to  tlie  highest  pitch,  and  one  old  lady 
who  refused  to  sell  me  even  a  quarter  of  a 
pound  of  tea  for  ten  shillings,  declined  my 
entreaties  with  the  quiet  reply,  "  No,  my 
dear,  the  time  will  come  when  you  will  offer 
me  five  and  twenty  shillings  for  the  quarter 
pound."  She  had  six  or  seven  large  chests 
at  her  side  as  she  spoke,  and  would  not  let 
me  have  a  single  ounce,  though  she  knew 
how  much  my  health  required  it.^  One 
could  hardly  expect  the  Kafirs  to  sell  us 
meat  or  poultry  while  white  people  set  such 
an  example  of  greed  and  selfishness ;  so  it 
was  only  very  rarely  that  the  wives  and 
children  of  the  ofl&cials  tasted  meat,  though 
probably  the  traders'  wives  upstairs  could  tell 
a  different  story. — But  to  return  ;  thus  passed 
away  three  terrible  days  and  nights,  and  all  this 
time  no  trace  of  my  baby  !  no  news  of  nurse  ! 
I  was  almost  frantic  with  suspense,  and  the 
impossibility  of  expressing  my  ffeelings  in 
words,  and  the  physical  pain  which  pre- 
vented any  exertion,  made  the  hours  doubly 
^  This  happened  some  time  afterwards. 


"  The  Wagons  have  Arrived  I ''       225 

long.  I  never  once  slept  for  a  single 
moment,  and  listened  to  every  sound  of 
approaching  wheels  or  footsteps,  with  an 
agony  only  those  who  have  gone  through 
similar  suffering  can  realize. 

People  around  seemed  to  think  I  was 
unconscious,  and  the  whispered  words  I 
heard  exchanged  about  the  missing  wagon- 
party  were  only  too  sad  a  confirmation  of 
my  own  fears.  At  last !  one  evening  after 
ten  o'clock,  just  after  dear  Mrs.  Eustace 
had  paid  her  final  visit  for  the  night,  I 
heard  a  commotion  in  the  corridor ;  and  the 
glad  cry,  "  The  wagons  have  arrived !  "  flew 
from  one  end  of  the  building  to  the  other. 

Animated  and  alive  again,  I  sat  up  for  the 
first  time,  and  in  the  joy  of  feeling  nurse's 
loving  arms  about  me,  and  the  rapture  with 
which  I  looked  on  the  darling  she  laid  beside 
me,  my  voice  returned,  and  with  it  a  deluge 
of  tears  (the  first  I  had  shed),  which  pro- 
bably saved  me  from  severe  illness. 

"  He's  all  right,  dear ;  he's  been  as  good 
as  gold  the  'ole  journey,  and  lor  !  you  should 
have  see  'ow  much  notice  he  took  of  hevery- 

Q 


2  26     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

thing  !  He's  as  warm  as  a  toast — look'! — I 
'  jumped  '  your  pink  dressing-gown  to  wrap 
him  in,  and  it's  as  black  as  smuts  with  dust ; 
— I  hope  you  won't  be  vexed,  mum  !  " 

"  Vexed  !  " — I  threw  my  arms  round  her, 
and  gave  her  a  kiss  for  a  reply ;  and  now 
she  turns  to  curtsey  to  Mrs.  Eustace,  who 
comes  in  to  say  she  is  "  making  some  coffee 
for  nurse,  and  will  she  be  kind  enough  to 
come  and  take  it,  after  she  has  finished  her 
chat  with  her  mistress  ?  " 

"  What  a  lady  !  "  utters  Johanna  in  tones 
of  gratitude  as  she  leaves,  quite  appreciating 
the  kind  thoughtfulness  as  much  as  I  did. 

Nurse  departs,  and  in  walk  several  police 
(apparently  thinking  War  makes  everything 
en  regie),  carrying  certain  boxes  and  bundles 
of  clothing,  blankets — and — yes  !  the  box  of 
provisions  which  Johanna  and  I  packed  last 
Thursday  night. 

Dear  little  multum  in  parvo !  What  a 
treasure  you  will  be  to  us  now  !  But  here 
comes  nurse, — bustles  the  men  out  of  the 
room,  and  sends  them  off  laughing  for  more 
bundles,  until  I  begin  to  think  the  room  will 


Btiffers.  22 'J 

never  hold  the  things.  "  Lor,  mum  !  what  a 
place  for  you  to  be  in,  and  what  a  mess  they 
have  made  of  your  floor  !  "  (so  she  didn't  appre- 
ciate my  broom  after  all) ;  "  but  never  mind, 
I've  got  a  beautiful  box  of  soap  in  the  wagon, 
and  I'll  put  you  all  to  rights  in  the  morning." 

I  now  began  to  wonder  where  nurse  was 
going  to  sleep ;  there  was  only  a  rather  small 
bed  in  the  room,  and  with  all  my  respect  for 
nurse,  the  idea  of  sharing  that  necessary 
article  of  furniture  with  her  was  anything 
but  an  agreeable  prospect !  Still,  I  could  not 
put  that  kind  soul  on  the  floor,  after  all  her 
devotion  to  baby ;  so  we  actually  slept  four 
in  a  bed  (and  this  continued  for  many,  many 
weeks),  by  dint  of  lying  across  the  broad  side 
instead  of  the  usual  lengthway  of  the  bed. 
I  took  good  care  to  use  the  two  children  as 
"  buffers,"  but  there  was  no  chance  of  for- 
getting my  lady-companion,  and  this  ap- 
parently trifling  annoyance  was  a  greater  trial 
to  me  than  any  other  hardship  ! 

However,  I  was  glad  enough  to  get  Johanna 
back  at  any  price,  and  slept  soundly  for  the 
first  time  that  week. 

q2 


2  28     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Johanna  fails  to  comprehend  our  Position — More  Hor- 
rors— Daily  Routine — A  Visit  from  my  Husband. 

When  I  awoke  I  was  startled  to  see  a  bright 
fire  blazing  on  the  hearth  (the  grates  were 
not  yet  put  in),  in  such  close  proximity  to  the 
bed  that  it  was  quite  dangerous.  "  Just  you 
lie  still,  mum,  and  drink  your  tea ;  nobody 
wants  you  to  get  up.  You  just  leave  every- 
thing to  old  Johanna,  and  get  well ;  that's 
your  business." 

Ah,  how  I  enjoyed  every  drop  of  that  tea, 
my  own  too,  and  I  could  not  resist  one  little 
feeling  of  triumph  at  the  thought  I  had 
not  paid  exorbitantly  for  it,  which  gave  the 
finishing  touch  to  my  satisfaction  !  And  now 
I  see  Johanna  frizzling  away  at  something 
in  a  saucepan,  which  is  evidently  mutton  and 
bacon  (by  way  of  a  fancy-dish,  I  suppose). 


A  Fancy  Disk.  229 

I  dislike  mutton  in  the  morning  at  any  time, 
and  must  inquire  into  the  extravagance  of 
cooking  twice  as  much  as  we  shall  require, 
when  we  must  hoard  every  crumb  of  food. 
"  Well,  mum,  you  can't  call  me  extravagant," 
replies  the  aggrieved  cuisiniere^  "  for  the 
bacon  is  your  own,  mum,  and  the  mutton  is 
off  a  beautiful  leg,  which  Mr,  Budge" — (a 
giggle  and  a  sigh) — "  give  me  this  morning." 

"  Oh,  you  wicked  woman  !  so  that  is  why 
you  are  so  anxious  I  should  get  up  late  in 
the  morning,  is  it  ?  Very  well,  Johanna,  you 
and  I  will  have  a  race  to-morrow,  and  if 
Mr.  Budge  ventures  to  appear  round  the 
corner,  I  shall  shoot  him  with  the  broom- 
stick.— No, — on  second  thoughts,  pray  give 
my  compliments  to  Mr.  Budge,  and  tell  him,  I 
am  most  grateful  and  the  leg  is  delicious.  But 
Johanna,  I  am  not  an  Arab  lady ;  do  you 
expect  me  to  eat  meat — bacon  especially — 
with  my  fingers  ?  " 

"  My  dear,  I've  been  all  over  the  house  to 
borrow  some  forks,  but  they're  all  in  use,  and 
I  could  only  get  one  spoon  and  a  knife." 

"  Never  mind ;  I  am  fond  of  sandwiches, 


230     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

and  the  bread  is  so  stale  "  (baked  nearly  a 
week  ago)  "  that  I  can  manage  capitally." 

After  breakfast,  I  get  up  and  dress,  and 
imagine  I  am  going  to  do  wonders  in  the  way 
of  unpacking  and  arranging  the  room,  but,  to 
my  dismay,  find  I  can  hardly  stand,  and  feel 
just  as  if  I  had  had  a  very  long  illness.  I  am 
on  the  point  of  lying  down  again  to  rest, 
when  I  catch  sight  of  something  most  repul- 
sive in  a  corner.  Johanna  insists  that  it 
is  all  right  and  can't  be  helped,  but  I  also 
insist,  and  she  now  tells  me  it  is  dried  manure 
which  we  shall  have  to  convert  into  fuel,  for 
there  is  nothing  else  to  use  for  the  fires, 
as  the  Kafirs  will  not  venture  from  home  to 
cut  or  sell  wood  (of  which  also,  there  is  a 
scarcity)  !  T]ie  whole  thing  is  so  utterly  hor- 
rible, that  I  can  but  bear  it  silently,  and  com- 
fort myself  with  the  reflection  that  I  am  no 
worse  ofi"  than  others.  It  has  to  be  borne, 
and  there  is  an  end  of  it. 

By  dint  of  resting  and  working  alter- 
nately, I  contrive  to  get  the  room  into 
something  like  order  that  day,  and  by  next 
morning  begin  regular  routine.     We  rise  at 


Order  of  the  Day.  23 1 

five  a.m.  and  dress  before  the  children  awake  ; 
make  their  toilets  ;  and  at  six  a.m.  I  take  baby 
in  my  arms  and  go  out  to  sit  in  the  fi'esh  air 
with  the  children  until  nine  o'clock,  when  we 
return  to  breakfast.  Meanwhile  nurse  has 
scrubbed  the  floor  (an  operation  performed 
daily),  prepared  breakfast  and  laid  the  table, 
having  also  tidied  the  room  and  made  the 
bed.  We  hire  a  Kafir  woman  to  wash  for 
us,  but  imagine  she  does  not  understand  the 
art  of  getting-up  linen,  so  after  breakfast 
nurse  goes  away  to  starch  and  iron,  bake 
bread  and  cook  what  dinner  we  can  get. 
Things  begin  to  look  more  comfortable,  as  I 
have  unpacked  our  own  house-linen  and 
silver,  and  we  no  longer  have  to  use  our 
fingers,  a  la  mode  de  Paradis.  Mr.  Macdonald 
has  also  vacated  the  kitchen  for  the  be- 
nefit of  the  officials'  wives,  using  the  fire  in 
the  great  hall  for  his  own  cuisine^  so  that  we 
are  not  obliged  to  have  the  fire  or  fuel  in 
our  room,  which  is  a  blessing  !  Our  fur- 
niture is  somewhat  scanty,  but  we  use  a  box 
for  a  table,  and  sit  upon  a  bag  of  linen  by 
way  of  a  chair,  and  as  there  are  no  pillows  or 


232     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

bureaux,  we  stuff  pillow-cases  full  of  children's 
clothes,  &c.,  and  thus  combine  both  advan- 
tages in  one. ' 

The  weather  also  is  simply  superb  and  the 
morning  air  is  doing  the  children  and  myself 
so  much  good ;  only, — I  wish  it  would  not 
make  us  quite  so  hungry  ! 

The  ground  in  front  of  the  house  is  now 
occupied  by  a  police  camp,  and  the  jatrol 
tents  make  the  place  picturesque; — at  the 
rear  of  the  building  a  party  of  volunteers  is 
constantly  engaged  in  making  an  earth- 
work fortification,  consisting  of  a  deep 
trench  and  a  high  bank.  To  the  west  is  a 
laager  of  traders'  wagons  and  camp  fires, 
(for  all  cannot  be  accommodated  within  the 
building)  and  south  and  east  we  are  pro- 
tected by  a  boundary  provided  by  nature; 
the  pretty  river  which  supplies  us  with  wa- 
ter, but  which,  alas  !  the  oxen  are  perceptibly 
diminishing  in  volume.  As  all  the  linen  is 
washed  in  this  stream,  I  should  not  be  sorry 

^  I  am  particularly  proud  of  this  idea,  and  take  the 
liberty  of  suggesting  it  to  any  readers  placed  in  circum- 
stances of  the  "  difficile  "  order. 


A  Welcome  Bulletin,  233 

to  have  a  filter  !  There  are  no  trees  near 
enough  to  shade  us  in  our  morning  walks,  so 
the  children  and  I  encamp  in  the  trenches  to 
get  the  benefit  of  shade  from  the  bank.  I  sit 
on  an  old  tin  bucket  turned  upside  down. 
Baby  sleeps  on  my  lap,  and  Henry  runs  off 
and  plays  at  "  soldiers." 

Meanwhile  I  get  no  news  of  my  husband, 
until  one  day  a  Kafir  knocks  at  the  door,  and 
tells  me  he  has  a  letter  for  me  from  Captain 
Fraser.  Wondering  what  this  gentleman 
can  have  to  write  to  me  about,  I  open  the 
note,  which  is  a  kind,  little  scribble  on 
the  leaf  of  a  pocket-book ;  and  find  it  con- 
tains the  joyful  information  that  he  has  just 
met  my  husband  somewhere,  told  him  where 
we  are,  (none  of  my  letters  had  reached  him,) 
and  that  I  may  hope  to  see  Edward  in  a  few 
days.  I  cannot  thank  our  friend  for  his 
kindness,  as  his  man  has  gone,  but  I  do  so 
now  with  all  my  heart. 

On  the  5th  October  I  receive  a  flying  visit 
from  the  aforesaid  husband,  who  has  many 
adventures  of  his  own  to  relate,  which  may 
be  appended  to  this  volume,  should  another 


2  34     Friends  mid  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

edition  be  published.  He  is  horrified  at  my 
holding  baby  for  three  hours  at  a  time  before 
breakfast,  as  I  also  have  the  care  of  the 
children  the  entire  morning  until  dinner-time, 
as  nurse  is  supposed  to  be  busy  in  the  far- 
distant  kitchen. 

As  Mrs.  Nurse  thinks  it  necessary  to  make 
an  elaborate  toilette  every  afternoon,  which 
occupies  an  hour  at  least,  after  another  hour 
occupied  in  washing  up  the  very  scanty 
amount  of  china  and  glass  we  have  used  at 
dinner,  it  may  readily  be  imagined  that  I 
am  not  "  off  duty  "  until  about  five  p.m.,  when 
she  goes  out  for  a  walk  with  the  children, 
and  I  begin  my  needlework,  unless  the  room 
requires  a  second  tidying,  or  I  am  so  utterly 
exhausted  that  I  have  to  lie  down  for  a  quiet 
half-hour.  This  is  the  time  at  which  Mrs. 
Eustace  and  I  manage  occasionally  to  ex- 
change a  few  words  to  cheer  and  rest  each 
other.  Now  the  children  return,  and  I  am 
nurse  again,  while  Johanna  prepares  tea. 
Then  come  the  children's  baths,  and  it  is 
again  eight  p.m.  before  Mrs.  Grog  and  I  sifc 
down  to  our  needlework.    I  am  making  a  grey 


Domestic  Troubles.  235 

dress,  for  most  of  my  things  are  too  good 
for  this  kind  of  work,  and  must  be  put  away 
for  brighter  days.  All  finery,  too,  seems  so 
heartless  and  unsuitable  at  such  a  time,  and 
Mrs.  Eustace  and  I  are  anxious  to  protest 
by  silent  example,  against  the  showy  costumes 
which  we  see  on  all  sides  ;  some  of  the  traders' 
wives  'apparently  regarding  the  occasion  as 
an  opportunity  of  airing  their  best  dresses, 
and  appearing  in  the  fashions  seen  in  the 
last  ^^ Myra"  or  ^^  Queen  "  exaggerated  to 
their  utmost  folly. 

It  is  only  the  second  gown  I  have  ever 
attempted  to  make,  and  I  am  too  nervous  to 
blunder  over  it  before  clever  nurse ;  so  I  mend 
things  for  the  children  until  she  goes  to  bed, 
and  then  sit  up  until  one  or  two  in  the  morn- 
ing at  my  dress-making.  I  then  tumble  into 
bed,  and,  like  the  celebrated  Connaught 
Ranger,  find,  when  I  wake,  "it  is  time  to  get 
up.'*  My  husband  refuses  to  believe  it  neces- 
sary for  Mrs.  Gog  to  spend  quite  so  much 
time  in  the  kitchen,  and  administers  a  repri- 
mand which  brings  a  cloud  upon  the  horizon. 
He  also  insists  upon  my  hiring  a  Kafir  girl  to 


236     Frie7ids  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

come  very  early  every  morning,  and  assist 
with  tlie  children  until  sunset ;  and  leaves 
me  money,  which  I  greatly  need. 

Edward  further  promises  to  go  home  next 
day,  and  ascertain  what  state  the  house  is  in, 
and  says  he  will  look  for  a  missing  box  of 
baby-linen  which  has  not  yet  turned  up.  (It 
got  taken  away  by  mistake  on  an  ammunition- 
wagon  to  the  Military  Camp  at  Ibeka,  and 
was  eventually  discovered  at  Komgha,  the 
frontier  town  in  the  colony,  the  other  side 
of  the  great  Kei  River,  and  was  returned  to 
me  by  a  bachelor  magistrate  ten  months 
afterwards !) 


CHAPTER  XXVIIT. 

Petty  Trials  the  Hardest  to  bear — No  Rose  without  a 
Thorn— A  Bashaw—"  All's  Well  that  ends  Well." 

I  NOW  begin  to  find  it  is  the  petty  trials  of  war 
which  are  the  hardest  to  bear.  It  had  been 
pleasant  enough  to  act  the  "  Lady  Bountiful " 
to  a  circle  of  refugees  during  a  few  days  of 
excitement,  with  a  chorus  always  at  hand  to 
applaud  every  action,  word,  and  look.  I  now 
discovered  the  time  had  come  to  exercise 
the  more  feminine  qualities  of  gentleness, 
patience,  self-denial,  and  tact,  which  were 
called  upon  at  every  moment  of  each  unex- 
citing day,  and  which  were  tried  in  every 
possible  way.  The  incessant  noise  of  the 
estabUshment  was  also  a  fearful  strain  upon 
one's  nerves.  The  publicity  of  the  hfe,  the 
incessant  confinement  to  one  small  room,  and 
the  association  with  persons  of  every  class 


238     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

and  type,  were  all  equally  trying,  and  the 
absence  of  letters,  papers,  or  information  of 
any  kind,  made  tbe  monotonous  round  of 
insignificant  duties  appear  very  irksome  at 
times. 

And  now  our  provisions  begin  to  fail,  and 
we  see  mealies — (not  the  delicious,  "  green 
mealies,"  but  the  corn  they  feed  the  horses 
upon) — appearing  at  our  repasts,  and  the  said 
repasts  are  sometimes  omitted  altogether, 
according  to  circumstances !  Insufficient 
nourishment  makes  us  feel  weak  and  irri- 
table, and  we  become  less  fitted  to  do  our 
duty,  and  less  cheerful  about  our  hardships. 
Our  husbands  and  brothers  are  all  away,  (I 
refer  to  the  ladies  in  the  lower  east  corridor,) 
and  we  are  harassed  with  anxiety  about  them. 
One  morning  Mrs.  Eustace  comes  to  me  with 
a  pencilled  scrap  written  by  the  Colonel  on  the 
field  of  Quintana.  "  Poor  Mrs.  Goss  !  "  (up- 
stairs, you  know) ;  "  her  husband  and  brother 
are  killed ! — who  can  break  the  news  to  her  ? 
Oh,  Mrs.  Prichard,  what  if  it  is  our  turn 
next?"  I  turn  white  with  horror,  and 
silently  clasp  her  cold  hand  with  a  feeling  of 


An  Exodtis.  239 

Bister  sympathy  that  requires   no  words  to 
express  its  meaning ! 

And  now  we  began  to  be  greatly  annoyed 
by  the  conduct  of  certain  characters  in 
laager,  and  it  was  hardly  agreeable  for 
ladies  to  leave  the  house  at  all,  while  the 
noise  over  our  head  at  night  became  per- 
fectly- unbearable.  On  the  9th  November, 
Captain  Dearie,  of  the  Port  Elizabeth  Volun- 
teers, came  over  from  Toleni  with  full 
authority  to  request  these  individuals  to  re- 
tire, which  they  accordingly  did,  to  our  un- 
speakable relief  and  joy  !  Captain  Dearie 
was  accompanied  by  my  husband,  who  was 
pushing  on  his  work  at  Toleni  as  fast  as 
possible,  but  was  greatly  hindered  by  the 
difficulty  of  getting  the  natives  to  work  either 
regularly  or  steadily  during  these  troublous 
times.  Often,  too,  just  as  he  had  succeeded 
in  getting  together  a  tolerably  good  gang, 
a  message  would  arrive  from  some  magistrate 
ordering  the  men  to  go  at  once  and  join  some 
levy  he  was  raising;  so  it  was  rather  slow  work. 
After  a  few  weeks,  however,  the  first  grand 
excitement  abated,  and  brave  Mrs.  Eustace 


240     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

was  fortunate  enough,  to  have  the  loan  of  a 
wagon  offered  to  her,  and  succeeded  in 
crossing  the  Kei,  and  arriving  safely  in  the 
colony.  A  week  later,  and  this  gallant  feat 
would  have  been  impossible,  for  now  a  second 
and  more  dangerous  rising  of  the  Gcaikas 
again  cuts  off  all  communication  with  the 
colony,  and  we  are  virtually  prisoners,  and 
in  a  state  of  siege.  Oh,  how  my  heart 
ached  as  my  dear  friend  drove  away,  and 
how  I  longed  to  accompany  her ;  but  duty 
must  be  done ! 

(My  husband's  work  is  of  some  importance 
to  the  public  service  at  the  present  crisis,  and 
he  must  push  it  on  as  rapidly  as  possible  to 
facilitate  transport  and  the  movements  of 
troops.  He  shall  never  say  that  his  wife 
asked  him  to  leave  his  post,  and  of  course  I 
will  remain  until  every  soldier  has  left  the 
frontier,  and  my  husband  is  at  liberty  to  think 
of  family  considerations  first.)  Several  other 
families  took  advantage  of  this  lull  in  the 
storm  to  return  to  homes  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, and  for  the  first  time  Blythwood  be- 
came comparatively  quiet.     Mr.  Macdonald 


A  Painful  Parting.  241 

and  his  sister  took  advantage  of  the  oppor- 
tunity to  get  down  to  the  coast ;  but,  before 
leaving,  they  were  kind  enough  to  give  me  the 
use  of  an  additional  room,  next  to  my  original 
one,  begging  me,  in  the  kindest  way,  to 
remain  at  BIythwood  "  six  months  more,  if 
I  wish  to  do  so." 

"Wg  had  not  felt  we  could  offer  pecu- 
niary remuneration  for  the  room  I  had 
occupied,  but  my  husband  had  had  the 
pleasure  of  contributing  to  the  funds  of  the 
institution,  and  paid,  of  course,  for  my 
board,  during  a  few  days  in  which  I  had 
been  guest  of  Miss  Macdonald.  This  had 
been  during  an  interregnum  in  which  I  was 
without  proper  servants.  Very  painful  cir- 
cumstances had  made  the  dismissal  of  Mrs. 
Gog  an  imperative  necessity  before  her  six 
months  were  up,  and  we  had  not  yet  engaged 
the  Kafir  servants  who  took  her  place.  I 
was  sorry  to  be  compelled  to  part  suddenly 
from  one  to  whom  I  was  so  much  at- 
tached, but  few  ladies  will  wonder  that, 
after  the  exciting  nature  of  the  scenes 
through  which  we  had  passed,  and  the  close 

B 


242     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

quarters  in  whicli  we  now  found  ourselves, 
it  was  simply  impossible  to  maintain  the 
proper  balance  of  relative  position  that  should 
exist  between  mistress  and  maid.  Our  pre- 
sent situation  was  also  just  of  the  nature  to 
bring  out  the  dark,  rather  than  the  bright 
side  of  her  nature,  and  the  fact  of  her  en- 
gagement to  a  wealthy  trader  made  anything 
like  obedience  utterly  distasteful  to  her. 
She  married  Mr.  Budge  as  soon  as  the  war 
was  over,  and  I  wish  them  both  every  happi- 
ness, remembering  only  her  faithful  service  in 
time  of  trouble,  and  preferring  to  forget  the 
rather  uncomfortable  events  which  occurred 
at  Blythwood. 

I  am  also  very  thankful  to  have  been  com- 
pelled to  dismiss  her,  as  I  might  otherwise 
never  have  known  how  well  one  can  get  on 
with  Kafir  servants ;  I  should  have  felt  de-^ 
pendent  upon  the  services  of  any  white 
domestic,  and  afraid  to  reprove  her  lest  I 
might  be  left  to  their  mercy.  Of  course  there 
was  some  trouble  the  first  few  days,  but  at 
any  rate,  one  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing 
one's  directions  would  be  faithfully,  if  imper- 


No  Rose  without  a  Thorn.  243 

f ectlj,  fulfilled ;  and  before  a  week  was  over 
we  had  no  cause  to  regret  the  change.  We 
now  managed  better  about  provisions,  as 
my  husband  was  able  to  send  a  pack- 
horse,  under  the  charge  of  escort,  once  a 
week  to  Blythwood,  and  with  the  exception  of 
butcher's  meat,  which  was  still  only  occa- 
sionally to  be  obtained,  I  did  pretty  well,  and 
whenever  we  ran  short,  we  fell  back  upon 
mealies.  I  was  also  looking  forward  to  a  visit 
from  Edward,  who  had  promised  to  spend 
Christmas  with  us,  and  he  had  sent  over  all 
the  furniture,  china,  glass,  &c.,  saved  from 
the  wreck  at  Iduty  wa ;  so  our  rooms  began  to 
look  almost  pretty,  and  I  felt  much  more  at 
home. 

But  there  is  no  rose  without  a  thorn,  and 
one  now  appeared,  of  insignificant  dimen- 
sions, but  very  prickly  and  harassing.  Mr. 
Macdonald  having  gone,  the  entire  command 
of  the  institution  was  left  in  the  hands  of  a 
carpenter.  I  will  not  quote  the  well-known 
proverb  about "  Jack  in  Office,"  and  think  there 
was  every  excuse  for  the  poor  man,  whose 
sudden  elevation  naturally  bewildered  and 
B  2 


244     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

turned  his  head.  (I  should  here  mention  that 
just  before  the  departure  of  Miss  Macdonald, 
it  had  occurred  to  me  that  we  might  possibly 
be  allowed  to  take  our  meals  in  the  room 
left  vacant  by  Mrs.  Eustace,  and  sit  there 
in  the  afternoon,  as  it  was  now  the  height  of 
summer,  and  the  South  African  sun  blazed  into 
both  our  rooms  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
west  corridor  for  a  very  considerable  portion 
of  the  day.)  I  merely  intended  to  bring  over 
a  table  and  our  glass  and  china,  and  was  quite 
prepared  to  vacate  at  half  an  hour's  notice, 
should  the  room  be  required  at  any  time. 
Miss  Macdonald  saw  no  objection  to  this, 
and  consented  in  the  kindest  way ;  the  great 
Mr.  B.  also  approved,  and  everything  went 
on  smoothly  for  some  days.  I  had  been  most 
civil  to  the  worthy  carpenter,  and  little  fore- 
saw the  amusing  feud  which  would  ensue  upon 
my  modest  request.  One  day,  however,  I  got 
a  hint  from  a  servant  that  Mr.  B.  wanted  to 
have  that  room  (by  far  the  largest  and  li^nd- 
somest  in  the  corridor)  for  the  use  of  his  wife 
and  family  !  Naturally  shrinking  from  the 
close  association  that  would  ensue,  and  above 


"  Quite  Amiable  /  "  245 

all,  dreading'  contact  with  his  children,  I 
mentioned  the  hint  to  my  husband,  and,  on 
his  next  visit,  he  was  good  enough  to  pay  the 
carpenter  the  compliment  of  calling  upon 
him  at  the  very  neat  cottage  in  which  he  then 
resided.  My  husband  explained  that  it  was  a 
great  convenience  to  me  to  have  the  use  of 
the  room,  and  requested  that,  if  the  authori- 
ties did  not  really  require  "  Mrs.  Eustace's 
room  "  for  a  few  weeks  longer,  he  should  feel 
greatly  indebted  if  I  might  remain.  My 
husband  returned,  saying  B.  was  quite 
amiable,  and  that  I  should  not  be  disturbed. 
At  this  moment  the  carpenter  approached, 
and  I  saw  by  his  knitted  brow,  downcast 
bearing,  and  sulky  countenance,  that  some- 
thing was  wrong;  and  with  a  woman's  instinct 
said  to  my  husband,  "  You  are  mistaken ;  T 
shall  be  insulted  before  you  are  five  minutes' 
ride  from  Blythwood." 

My  husband  laughed  and  left,  and  as  he 
disappeared  over  the  brow  of  the  hill,  a 
note  was  handed  to  me  couched  in  most 
fiery  terms ;  telling  me  that  he — (the  great 
B.) — would  come  "  himself  "  and  turn  me  out 


246     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

by  main  force  if  I  had  not  cleared  out  by 
midday ! 

I  need  scarcely  say  that  I  did  not  send  a 
written  reply  to  this  elegant  billet-doux,  but, 
wishing  to  avoid  a  scene,  and  knowing  *'  Jack 
in  office "  really  could  turn  me  out  if 
he  chose,  I  slept  over  it,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing sent  a  verbal  message,  ignoring  the 
letter,  and  requesting  Mr.  B.  "to  be  kind 
enough  to  come  and  speak  to  me,  when 
he  could  conveniently  do  so."  I  sat  down 
quietly  to  my  needlework  to  await  his  arrival, 
and  as  I  quite  excused  the  poor  man's  con- 
duct on  account  of  his  ignorance,  was  indeed 
astonished  when  the  door  was  suddenly 
thrown  open,  and  Mr.  B.,  white  and  trembling 
with  rage,  throwing  his  arms  passionately 
above  his  head,  and  accompanied  by  several 
Kafir  youths,  rushed  into  the  room,  exclaim- 
ing ;  "  I  won't  hear  a  word  ;  it's  no  use  you're 
speaking,  for  I  won't  listen  to  a  single  word ; 
I'm  master  here  !  "  With  that  he  vanished, 
and  I  flew  to  the  door  and  locked  it.  I  now 
thought  I  would  have  some  fun,  so,  as  Mon- 
sieur  B.    had    declined  my  attempts   at  an 


A  Storm  in  a  Tea-cup.  247 

amicable  restitution  of  the  room,  I  decided  to 
take  him  at  his  word,  and  allow — nay,  compel 
him  to  take  it  by  main  force,  as  he  had 
said  he  would.  I  handed  baby  to  the  ser- 
vant, and  sat  down  again,  little  terrified 
Henry  asking  me  what  it  all  meant.  I  knew 
that  my  husband  was  going  to  send  over 
an  orderly  to  ascertain  how  I  was  being 
treated,  and  that  Mr.  B.  was  not  aware  of 
this,  so  I  turned  to  the  window,  like  Fatima, 
to  ask  the  trembling  nurse,  "  Sister  Anne, 
Sister  Anne,  do  you  see  anybody  coming  ?  " 
and — beheld  Mr.  B.,  who  jumped  through  the 
window  accompanied  by  the  Kafir  youths, 
who  shook  in  their  shoes  I  was  going  to  say, 
but  I  must  rather  say  shook  in  their  soles 
at  my  unexpected  defiance  of  the  great  man ! 

They  now  began  throwing  my  furniture 
out  of  the  window  in  the  most  careless  way, 
B.  inciting  them  to  do  so,  and  almost  out 
of  his  mind  with  fury. 

I  now  went  up  to  the  enemy.  He  paused 
for  a  second,  and  then  opening  the  door 
shouted,  "  Now  go,  go,  go !  or  I'll  have  you 
carried  out.     By 1  will.' 


248     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

This  was  too  mucli  to  bear  !  No,  I  thought; 
these  Kafir  gentlemen  shall  see  mind  conquer 
matter,  and  the  weak  woman  leave  this  room 
when  she  chooses,  and  not  before  !  I  now 
had  my  opportunity.  Mr.  B.  stood  at  the 
door  waiting  for  me  to  pass  out.  I  affected 
an  air  of  submission,  and  apparently  leaving 
the  room,  approached  the  door;  but,  just  as 
he  was  about  to  close  it,  » suddenly  faced 
round,  and  looked  him  full  in  the  face  with 
the  question,  "  Mr.  B,,  are  you  a  Christian  ?  " 
At  the  same  moment  I  compelled  myself  to 
place  my  hand  upon  the  wrist  of  his  grimy, 
unpleasant  arm,  the  sleeves  of  which  were 
turned  up  for  the  energetic  work  he  imagined 
he  had  to  perform !  Oh  !  what  a  look  he 
gave  my  hand !  For  one  instant  I  saw  him 
try  to  dash  it  away,  but  he  did  not  quite 
venture  upon  that,  and  now  the  quiet  hand 
seems  to  calm  him. 

"Are  you  a  Christian,  Mr.  B.?"  I  re- 
peated, never  relaxing  my  fingers  from  that 
wriggling- wrist ! 

Mr.  B.  looked  up;  Mr.  B.  looked  down, 
— gave  a  side-long  glance  at  my  poor  little 


Rather  Mtiscular  Christianity.        249 

hand,  and  another  at  the  Kafir  boys,  who 
were  now  grinning  and  gigghng  at  the  master 
before  whom  they  had  so  recently  trembled. 
The  poor  man  saw  he  had  made  a  mistake ! 

"  Weel,  marm  !  "  he  drawled,  "  I  humbly 
hope  I  am  a  sincere  Christian,  and — " 

I  interrupted  :  "  Of  course  you  are  !  I  have 
always  had  the  greatest  respect  for  you,  Mr. 
B. ;  but — may  I  ask  if  you  think  the  mode 
you  have  chosen  either  a  Christian  or  a 
gentlemanly  way  of  asking  me  to  retire  from 
this  apartment  ?  " 

I  now  relaxed  my  hold,  and  seeing  the 
storm  was  over,  told  him  I  was  perfectly 
aware  that  the  room  belonged  to  him  for 
the  present,  but  that  I  should  be  glad  to 
have  a  few  moments'  conversation  with  him, 
and  as  L  could  no  longer  offer  Mm  a  chair, 
would  he  be  kind  enough  to  allow  me  to  sit 
down  for  a  moment  on  a  box,  (which  had 
been  too  heavy  to  be  thrown  out.)  The 
Kafir  youths  looked  on  amazed  as  they  saw 
the  "  ramping,  raging  "  lion  of  a  few  minutes 
before,  sit  down  as  "  meek  as  a  lamb,"  to  listen 
patiently   and    respectfully   to    the    sermon 


250     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

which  I  proceeded  to  administer.  And  now 
I  had  some  amusement.  The  fame  of  his  fury 
had  gone  the  rounds  of  the  estabhshment, 
and  crowds  who  had  assembled  at  the  win- 
dows to  see  "  the  Lady  "  ejected,  now  had  the 
inortification  of  beholding  the  Great  Mogul, 
quiet,  ashamed,  and  subdued,  listen  for  as 
long  as  I  chose  to  preach,  to  the  description 
of  the  mistake  he  had  made,  and  to  the 
announcement  that  the  orderly  had  mean- 
while arrived,  and  before  twenty-four  hours 
were  over  he  would  have  to  account  to  my 
husband  for  his  conduct !  He  was  now 
trembling  all  over,  white  as  death,  and  the 
perspiration  was  dripping  off  his  brow  in 
clammy  drops,  which  seemed  to  carry  away 
all  his  courage  with  it.  I  thought  it  only 
kind  to  end  his  misery,  so  I  now  summoned 
the  Kafir  boys,  and  requested  them  to  carry 
to  my  other  rooms  the  necessary  furniture, 
&c.,  leaving  on  the  best  possible  terms  with 
Mr.  B.,  who  gaspingly  ejaculated,  "  You  are 
not  in  the  least  like  any  lady  I  ever  saw  in 
my  life  before  !  " 

I  now  walked  to  my  room  to  indulge  the 


Through  the  Window,  251 

laughter  I  could  no  longer  restrain;  the 
crowd  dividing  right  and  left,  and  evidently 
thinking  I  was  a  "Witch-Doctor"  at  the 
very  least.  But  I  must  calm  my  shaken 
nerves,  and  receive  the  young  Irish  orderly 
whom  my  husband's  note  directs  me  "to  pet 
to  my,  heart's  content."  I  have  never  seen 
him  before,  but  my  husband  has  spoken  so 
warmly  of  him,  that  I  am  prepared  to  like 
him  very  much,  and  the  first  look  at  his 
bright,  ingenuous  Irish  face  satisfies  me  my 
husband's  eulogium  is  well  deserved.  A  few 
words  are  sufficient  for  "  Mr.  Burke,"  as  I 
shall  call  him ;  and  without  waiting  even 
for  a  mouthful  of  food  or  a  glass  of  vsdne,  back 
he  dashes  to  my  husband,  fifteen  miles  away. 
The  rest  of  the  day  is  spent  rearranging  our 
two  original  rooms.  I  lie  down  to  rest,  but, 
too  excited  to  sleep,  take  a  book  and  begin 
to  read.  It  is  nearly  midnight,  when  I  hear 
my  husband's  signal  whistle,  and  in  another 
moment  the  sash  is  raised  from  without,  and 
Edward  springs  lightly  through  the  win- 
dow, (it  seems  the  fashionable  mode  of  en- 
trance to-day),  and  informs  me  that  the  horse- 


252     Fi'iends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

whip  he  holds  in  his  hand  is  intended  for 
Mr.  B.'s  benefit  in  the  morning !  His  horse 
is  knee-haltered  outside,  acd  we  give  him 
some  of  our  "mealies ;"  and  now  I  thauk  my 
husband  for  his  chivalry,  which  I  greatly 
appreciate,  and  heartily  enjoy  the  joke  of  his 
actually  sleeping  in  the  house  while  Mr.  B. 
imagines  him  to  be  many,  many  miles  away. 
I  need  hardly  say  I  induced  Edward  to  look  at 
the  bright  side  of  the  affair,  but  he  neverthe- 
less demands  a  couple  of  apologies,  which 
poor  B.  humbly  writes  next  morning ;  after 
which  the  affair  is  over,  and  poor,  dear  "  Jack 
in  Office  "  murmurs  faintly  that  he  "  heartily 
wishes  they  had  never  made  him  '  Com- 
mandant,' that  he  do ;  for  it  gives  him  no 
peace,  day  nor  night."  (I  need  scarcely 
add  that  I  bear  no  malice  to  the  worthy  man, 
and  merely  recall  the  episode  to  show  we  had 
some  small  excitement  even  in  that  dull  life  !) 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Invasiqii  of  the  Gcaikas — An  Awkward  Delay — Doctor's 
Visit — We  leave  Elythwood — Journey  to  Toleni — 
Breakfast  in  a  Wagon — Entrance  into  Toleni. 

And  now  my  husband  tells  me  that  the 
Gcaikas  have  invaded  the  Transkei,  and  that 
it  being  no  longer  possible  to  continue  his 
work  at  Toleni,  he  intends  to  come  and  stay 
with  us  at  Blythwood  for  a  little  while.  So 
a  couple  of  days  after  he  amves ;  escort, 
wagon,  seven  horses — quite  a  little  caval- 
cade !  and  henceforth  we  part  no  more. 
Mr.  B.,  who  is  now  all  smiles  and  civility, 
makes  over  two,  upper  rooms  to  my  husband, 
and  one  is  converted  into  an  office,  while  the 
other  accommodates  the  police,  whom  Mr.  B. 
is  evidently  glad  to  have,  to  assist  in  defending 
the  place.  And  now  the  barricades  must  be 
put  up  again,  (not  over  my  windows  though, 
I  never  had  them  for  a  single  day,)  and  the 


254     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

families  who  had  so  gladly  gone  home,  again 
seek  shelter  at  Blythwood.  And  now,  alas  ! 
returns  the  noisy  set  banished  by  Captain 
Dearie;  B.  and  his  family  occupy  Mrs. 
Eustace's  room  ;  the  whole  tone  of  the  place 
is  changed,  and  Blythwood  is  no  longer  a 
fit  place  for  a  lady. 

My  husband  employs  himself  with  office 
work,  and  goes  over  constantly  to  Toleni, 
pushing  on  the  work  whenever  he  gets  a 
chance  of  a  few  labourers ;  but  now  he  is 
seized  with  serious  illness,  and  there  is  no 
doctor  to  be  had !  At  last,  in  despair,  I 
take  the  responsibility  to  send  off  an  orderly 
to  Ibeka  to  beg  and  implore  Colonel  Eustace 
to  induce  the  authorities  to  allow  one  of 
the  military  doctors  to  come  over,  at  any 
expense ;  as  I  do  not  know  what  more  to 
do  for  my  husband,  who  gets  weaker  every 
day.  My  anxiety  was  great ;  but,  strange 
to  say,  my  husband's  illness  took  a  favour- 
able turn,  and  he  began  to  get  better.  It 
was  fortunate  that  he  did ;  as  though  I  had 
despatched  the  messenger  on  Friday  after- 
noon, the  doctor  did  not  arrive  at  Blythwood 


A  Kind  Doctor.  255 

until  the  following  Tuesday  night,  owing  to  a 
complication  of  adventures  and  disasters ! 
(How  would  you  like  that,  my  friends  at 
home,  when  those  dear  to  you  are  suffering, 
and  you  see  them  failing  for  want  of  medical 
aid  ?)  The  invalid  is  convalescent  when  the 
good  doctor  arrives,  but  the  latter  gentleman 
remains  as  our  guest  until  the  following 
day,  and  we  also  pay  him  six  guineas,  which 
is  not  much,  considering  his  loss  of  time  at 
Ibeka.  The  worthy  doctor's  visit  is  not 
wasted,  for  we  have  to  consult  him  about  a 
domestic  event  which  is  expected  shortly. 
He  strongly  advises  our  coming  down  to 
the  camp  at  Ibeka,  as  I  have  neither  doctor 
nor  nurse  near  Blythwood.  *'  I  will  take 
every  care  of  your  wife,  and  she  will  get  on 
splendidly  in  the  fresh  air  !  "  '  I  naturally 
shrank  from  the  bustle  and  stir  of  a  large 
military  camp,  and  my  husband  objected  to 
tent  life  for  me ;  so,  hoping  something  may 
"turn  up,"  we  banish  the  idea;  but  it  takes  root 

*  Our  house  at  Iduty  wa  was  now  occupied  by  a  magis- 
trate, Mr.  T.  Merriman,  sod  of  the  Bishop  of  Graham's 
Town. 


256     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

in  my  brain  to  bear  fruit  hereafter.  And  now 
a  third  consultation  takes  place,  and  the  kind, 
good  doctor  for  the  first  time  opens  our  eyes 
to  the  fact,  that  our  invalid  child  is  not  very 
long  to  remain  with  us  !  He  most  kindly 
promises  to  allow  us  wine,  cod-liver  oil, 
and  other  things  needed  for  the  darling 
from  the  hospital  stores,  and  an  orderly 
returns  with  him  to  fetch  them  from  Ibeka. 
I  will  not, — cannot  entertain,  the  fearful 
shadow  which  this  visit  casts  over  our  home, 
but  all  the  same,  henceforward  make  Baby 
my  sole  charge,  and  cling  to  him  with  a 
tenacity  which  only  the  fingers  of  Death  have 
power  to  loose. 

And  noW;  with  the  prospect  of  the  arrival 
of  a  little  stranger  in  our  family,  and  with 
the  shadow  of  death  hanging  heavily  over 
our  infant  invalid,  it  is  small  wonder  if  my 
thoughts  turn  longingly  to  a  home  of  our 
own ;  even  if  that  home  be  but  a  tent !  Con- 
fusion, noise,  and  vulgarity  reign  supreme  at 
Blythwood  ;  and  there  is  not  an  hour,  hardly 
a  moment  in  the  day,  in  which  we  are  not 
exposed  to   some    annoyance.      At   last,  on 


Afternoon  Tea.  257 

Saturday,  the  28rd.  of  February,  my  husband 
rides  away  to  Toleni ;  people  imagine  he  will 
be  absent  several  days,  and  the  scene  of  con- 
fusion attains  a  climax  which  makes  me  re- 
solve that  before  next  Saturday  arrives,  I  will 
sleep  in  a  tent ;  on  the  "  veldt ;"  anywhere, — 
anywhere, — to  escape  from  this  discomfort. 
I  bottle  up  my  wrath  until  my  husband  arrives, 
and  finding  he  is  tired  out  after  his  long 
journey,  merely  tell  him  I  am  quite  happy, 
for  I  have  thought  of  a  plan  which  will 
meet  all  our  dijficulties,  and  which  shall  be 
unfolded  to  him  on  the  morrow. 

He  laughingly  pretends  he  is  dying  with 
impatience  to  hear  it,  and  I  am  consumed 
with  equal  impatience  to  unfold  it,  but  in  the 
colonies,  some  daily  duties  must  be  attended 
to  on  a  Sunday  almost  as  much  as  on  any  other 
morning,  and  it  is  four  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon before,  having  sent  the  children  out  and 
prepared  afternoon  tea;  we  sit  down  for  a 
comfortable  chat. 

I  relate  the  experiences  of  the  preceding 
day,  and  suggest  that,  as  my  husband's  work 
is  at  Toleni,  where  there  is  a  hospital  camp, 

s 


258     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

we  should  proceed  there  immediately;  thus 
ensuring  greater  quiet  than  at  Ibeka  (as  only 
a  small  detachment  of  the  24th  is  at  Toleni), 
and  giving  my  husband  the  opportunity  of 
continuing  his  work  in  the  best  way  possible. 
Charmed  with  the  idea,  my  husband  at 
once  adopts  it,  and  concentrates  his  mental 
energy  upon  the  task  of  leaving  as  quickly 
as  possible.  This  is  not  very  easy.  How- 
ever, wonders  can  be  done  when  people  put 
their  hearts  into  the  matter,  and  on  the  follow- 
ing Thursday,  the  2Sth  of  February,  1878,  we 
left  Blythwood  at  last,  (having  arrived  there 
on  the  29th  of  September,  1877,)  so  I  fulfilled 
my  vow  not  to  remain  another  week  there. 
But  what  a  journey  awaits  us  !  Nothing  but 
sunshine  had  been  seen  for  weeks,  but  at 
the  very  moment  of  leaving  Blythwood  so 
violent  a  thunder-storm  burst  suddenly  over 
us,  that  we  were  all  drenched  in  simply 
running  from  the  house  to  the  wagon,  and 
soon  the  mattress  on  which  we  reclined,  and 
everything  about  us,  was  soaked  as  if  we  lay 
in  a  pool.  Unfortunately  too,  the  man  from 
whom  we    hired   oxen    (to    supplement   the 


The  Wagon  Again.  259 

Government  supply),  did  not  arrive  nntil  so 
late  in  tlie  day,  that  though  the  poor  children 
and  I  had  been  ready  since  nine  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  we  did  not  start  till  five  in  the 
afternoon.  (I  wish  Sir  Isaac  Newton  had 
tried  South  Africa ;  if  he  had  kept  his  temper 
there,  I  should  indeed  think  him  a  saint). 
However,  the  worst  of  the  storm  was  soon 
over,  though  small,  fine  rain  continued  for 
many  hours,  and  we  jogged  along  pretty 
comfortably  until  it  got  dark. 

But  now  the  road — wagon-track  rather — 
passes  over  hills  ;  and  the  wagon  often  bumps 
into  holes,  or  crunches  over  large  stones. 
Our  little  invalid  becomes  violently  ill,  and 
my  old  linen  gown  is  soon  only  fit  to  throw 
away.  Poor  Henry  is  frightened  at  the 
dark  and  the  shrieks  and  screams  of  the 
Kafirs,  (for  he  is  no  longer  the  brave  little 
hero  of  a  year  before;  the  terrible  scenes 
through  which  the  child  has  passed  have 
caused  a  shock  to  the  nervous  system  from 
which  it  may  take  years  to  recover),  and, 
without  a  nurse,  and  in  considerable  suffering 
myself,  I  have  enough  to  do  to  be  patient ; 
s  2 


26o     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

At  last  my  liusband  announces  that  we  are 
on  Toleni  Hill,  only  a  few  minutes'  distance 
from  the  accommodation-liouse  where  we 
intend  to  sleep  that  night.  Vain  hope  !  At 
this  instant  with  an  awful  crash  that  seems 
to  be  rending  the  wagon  into  pieces,  we 
descend  into  a  frightful  hole,  and  there  we 
remain  until  day-light.  The  wagon  is  all 
on  a  slant,  and  the  children  and  I  are  dashed 
violently  against  the  side. 

My  husband  rides  on  to  the  hotel  with  the 
wish, — I  cannot  say  the  hope, — of  getting 
assistance,  but  returns  alone  with  the  follow- 
ing interesting  items  of  intelligence. — First ; 
the  bedroom  in  which  the  poor  children  and 
I  hoped  to  rest,  is  occupied  by  two  ladies, 
who  are  not  likely  to  leave  for  some  time. 
(Oh,  horror  !  Ladies  at  Toleni,  just  at  this 
time  of  all  others  when  I  wanted  to  get  away 
from  everybody,  and  devote  myself  to  our 
dying  child  !) — The  whole  of  the  rest  of  the 
house  is  occupied  by  No.  6,  troop  of  mounted 
police,  who  are  half  dead  with  fatigue,  and 
are  lying  on  the  bare  floor, — anywhere  about 
the  shop  and  house.     I  "  cannot  possibly  go 


A  Good  Samaritan.  261 

there ;  the  men  are  packed  like  herrings  in  a 
barrel."  Mr.  Hamilton  and  "  Jack  "  Maclean 
are  there ;  are  "awfully  sorry"  for  us,  and  Mr. 
Hamilton  has  sent  me  a  glass  of  brandy  and 
water."  "  What  comical  comfort-,"  I  laugh ; 
"would  it  were  a  cup  of  tea  !  "  No  chance 
of  such  a  thing,  so  the  babies  and  I  divide  the 
brandy  and  prepare  to  camp  out.  (I  should 
explain  that  our  escort  had  been  left  at  Blyth- 
wood  to  bring  over  the  horses,  ofl&ce-things, 
engineering  instruments,  and  some  furniture, 
&c.).  My  husband  again  departs,  and  this 
time  finds  a  real,  good  Samaritan  whose 
kindness  I  can  never  forget.  He  joy- 
fully returns,  saying  that  Mr.  St.  Leger  L. 
(who  has  been  my  husband's  deputy  at  Toleni), 
has  been  as  good  and  kind  as  usual;  that 
he  is  preparing  cocoa  and  hot  milk  for  the 
children,  boiling  eggs,  and  bringing  bread  to 
us,  and  that  we  shall  have  some  breakfast  in 
a  few  minutes. 

*'  Breakfast ! — You  don't  mean  to  say  it  is 
to-morrow  morning?"  I  reply. 

*'  Not  far  off,  old  lady ;  so  drink  your  grog 
and  go  to  sleep."     I  am  about  to  obey  this 


262     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

affectionate,  if  inelegant  direction,  when  kind 
Mr.  St.  Leger  L.  and  his  servant  arrive,  with 
a  lantern  and  all  sorts  of  luxuries,  and  we  are 
soon  having  some  nice  supper,  after  which 
the  children  and  I  really  do  go  to  sleep.  I 
always  feel  we  owed  that  "  forty  winks  "  to 
Mr.  Hamilton's  brandy  and  water,  which  was 
not  mixed  on  the  Homoeopathic  system  ! 

We  enjoyed  our  nap  very  much,  but  the 
awakening  was  not  quite  so  agreeable.  A 
lurch,  a  crunch,  another  mighty  shock  and 
effort ;  and  the  wagon  has  been  hoisted  out  of 
the  hole,  and  is  ready  to  advance. — I  hear  the 
sound  of  a  bugle ;  see  a  pretty,  miniature, 
military  camp,  and  at  the  same  moment  the 
troop  of  police  is  mounted  in  line,  just  on  the 
point  of  departure. — The  whole  scene  was  en- 
chanting !  The  beautiful  hill-scenery  shining 
through  a  delicate,  silvery  veil  of  mist  which 
was  tinted  most  exquisitely  by  the  rising  sun ; 
the  scarlet  coats  of  our  own  "  real,"  English 
soldiers,  and  the  contrast  presented  by  the 
dark  uniform  of  the  police, — all  harmonized 
into  a  picture  which  I  can  never  forget. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

We  take  refuge  in  the  Police  Camp — "  On  the  Veldt " 
— Unforeseen  Considerations — "  Kafoosalem  " — Serious 
Anxiety. 

The  wagon  now  advanced  until  it  arrived  at 
the  hill  which  my  husband  had  selected  for  our 
projected,  camp  life.  This  was  a  very  beau- 
tiful spur  or  terrace,  overlooking  the  valley 
of  the  Kei,  and  commanding  as  fine  a 
view  as  could  be  found  anywhere  in  the 
Transkei.  We  were  sufficiently  near  to 
the  trader's  shop  for  convenience,  and  in 
proximity  to  the  military  camp  in  case  of 
emergency,  though  separated  from  both  by 
the  high  road,  and  quite  far  enough  away 
to  be  disturbed  by  nothing  that  might  occur 
at  either  place.  And  now  Edward  told 
me  that  he  had  lent  several  of  the  tents 
to   some   police    now   stationed    at    Toleni, 


264     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

and  that  I  had  better  take  shelter  in  that 
occupied  by  Mr.  St.  Leger  L.,  until  he 
could  put  up  one  or  two  on  the  site  selected 
for  our  own  future  camp.  This  did  not 
sound  attractive,  but  it  was  preferable  to 
facing  the  stylish  ladies,  fresh  from  England, 
who  were  now  at  the  hotel ;  so  I  patiently 
submitted,  and  followed  my  husband  as  best 
I  could,  to  the  tent ;  which  was  in  the  very 
centre  of  the  police  camp.  I  tried  to  put  on 
my  boots,  but  they  were  so  stiff  from  the 
continuous  soaking  they  had  undergone  dur- 
ing the  night  that  they  could  only  be  thrown 
away,  so  I  walked  across  the  soaking  grass 
barefooted,  and  in  the  most  dilapidated  con- 
dition I  have  ever  been  in,  in  the  whole  course 
of  my  life.  My  hair  was  hanging  over  my 
shoulders  (not  becomingly  dishevelled  as  it 
would  have  been  described  in  a  novel,  but 
twisted  and  tangled  into  frightful  confusion). 
My  dress  was  simply  fit  for  a  bonfire,  and  for 
nothing  else  in  this  world,  and  hat  and 
veil  were  reduced  to  a  state  of  shapeless 
pulp.  However,  I  had  nothing  to  regret, 
as    all   had    been    selected    on    account   of 


Toilette  in  a  Tent.  265 

their  venerable  age  and  antiquity,  and  their 
loss  would  be  no  affliction ;  the  hair  would 
soon  recover  itself,  and  my  boots  could  be 
replaced  by  others  close  at  hand,  so  I  fol- 
lowed my  husband  merrily  enough ;  the  lovely 
sunshine  cheering  my  heart  and  drying  my 
garments  in  a  most  agreeable  and  practical 
manner.  We  had  had  excellent  servants 
at  Blythwood,  but  they  naturally  objected 
to  leaving  their  own  neighbourhood  in  the 
present,  unsettled  condition  of  the  country, 
so  I  had  only  one  servant  with  me,  who  lived 
near  Toleni,  and  was  glad  to  be  brought 
safely  home.  This  girl  was  a  stranger  to 
Baby,  who  did  not  hke  her  at  all.  However, 
the  poor  darling  enjoyed  the  fresh  air  and 
sunshine,  and  after  taking  some  warm  milk, 
was  carried  about  on  the  "  veldt,"  while  Henry 
disappeared,  attracted  by  the  sight  of  the 
camp;  and  was  taken  possession  of  by  the 
soldiers  there,  one  nice  serjeant  amusing 
him  most  kindly  for  a  long  time. 

My  husband  soon  brought  me  a  box  of 
clothing,  and  I  made  my  first  toilet  in  a  tent. 
And  now  an  embarrassment,  which  had  never 


266     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

occurred  to  me,  presents  itself  for  solution. 
What  shall  I  put  on? — I  had  prepared 
a  thick  morning-dress,  but  the  atmosphere 
of  the  tent  is  so  stifling  that  anything  but 
muslin  would  suffocate  me.  I  drag  an  old 
Jamaica  gown  out  of  the  box,  and  sit  down 
on  the  bed  to  brush  my  hair.  I  had  hardly 
done  so  before  a  member  of  the  police 
corps,  imagining  the  tent  is  occupied  by  a 
bachelor,  peeps  in;  smiles  and  nods  at  me 
till  I  nearly  throw  the  hair-brush  at  his 
head,  and  departs ;  evidently  thinking  he 
has  something  amusing  to  relate  to  his 
comrades.  I  try  to  smother  my  indigna- 
tion, and  endeavour  to  find  some  means  of 
securing  the  tent  from  within.  Edward 
returns  to  my  assistance,  and  now  all  goes 
well,  and  I  change  the  poor  children's  dress, 
and  try  to  make  them  a  little  more  clean  and 
comfortable.  My  husband,  anxious  to  get 
me  away  from  the  police- camp  as  rapidly 
as  possible,  now  conducts  us  to  "  our  "  hill, 
where  various  members  of  the  escort  who 
had  remained  in  charge  of  the  "  plant "  there, 
are  superintending  Kafir  labourers,  who  are 


A  Morning  Call.  267 

putting  up  tents,  digging  trenches  for  drain- 
age, and  making  a  sod  wall ;  as  fast  as  black 
people  ever  will  do  anything. 

Only  one  tent  is  up  at  present,  and  in  this 
I  see  a  table  loaded  with  parcels  of  provi- 
sions ;  cups,  saucers,  knives,  forks,  and  a  tea 
pot.  ^  Our  first  camp-fire  is  already  blazing 
(as  we  had  purchased  some  wood  the  previous 
day  and  tied  it  behind  the  wagon),  and  I  am 
not  disposed  to  grumble,  as  we  are  all  very 
hungry,  and  must  eat  before  we  begin  to  evolve 
order  from  chaos.  I  must  confess  not  only  my 
own,  but  my  husband's,  patience  was  sorely 
tried  when,  at  this  moment,  I  find  myself 
face  to  face  with  a  lady  in  a  dashing  morning 
dress,  who  keeps  me  standing  to  talk  about 
her  trials  and  hardships  at  the  hotel,  (which  I 
should  have  looked  upon  as  a  paradise  of 
luxury)  and  inform  me  at  parting  she  meant 
to  come  down  again  shortly  to  see  how  our 
"  establishment  "  was  getting  on  !  We  had 
no  front  door  to  lock  and  no  servants  to  say 
"  Not  at  home,"  so  my  poor  husband  and  I  en- 
deavour to  bear  this  "  last  feather  "  as  politely 
as  possible ;.  but  I  can  say  from  the  depths 


268     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

of  my  heart,  that  the  last  was  by  no  means 
the  least,  in  our  burden  of  suffering. 

After  a  hasty  breakfast  taken  standing 
on  the  still  soaking  grass,  I  decide  that 
the  best  thing  I  can  do  will  be  to  get 
our  blankets,  mattresses,  and  pillows  dried, 
and  prepare  a  "  nursery  tent "  for  the 
children.  So  I  put  up  a  large  clothes- 
rack  and  set  to  work;  spending  the  entire 
morning  in  the  open  air,  and  thoroughly 
enjoying  the  sunshine.  The  day  was  simply 
perfect ;  the  sun  was  not  too  hot ;  everything 
looked  fresh  and  lovely  after  the  rain ;  and  the 
flowers  seemed  almost  to  spring  up  beneath 
my  feet,  which  flew  about  in  every  direction 
until  dinner-time. 

The  children  were  perfectly  happy,  amused 
by  the  busy  scene  about  them,  and  I  thought 
camp-life  simply  delightful!  At  midday,  we 
sat  down  to  a  tolerably  tidy  meal,  and  by 
sunset,  when  I  had  made  the  beds,  put  out 
the  baths,  and  arranged  our  karosses  and 
waterproofs  on  the  ground  in  the  two  sleep- 
ing tents,  things  really  began  to  look  as  if 
two  more  days'  work  would  make  us  fairly 


A  Warning  to  my  Lady-Readers.     269 

comfortable.  We  hoped  some  servants  would 
come  to  be  hired  in  a  day  or  two,  and  mean- 
while a  Danish  member  of  our  escort  had 
volunteered  to  take  the  cuisine  off  my  hands, 
laughingly  telling  me  it  was  not  "  proper  "  for 
"  ladies  to  cook  in  camp."  I  slept  like  a 
top  from  sunset  to  sunrise,  and  for  the 
first  time  enjoyed  the  never-to-be-forgotten 
luxury  of  sleeping  in  perfectly  pure  and  fresh 
air.  I  discovered  however,  that  my  muslin 
dress  had  been  about  the  worst  attire  I  could 
possibly  have  selected  for  my  day  "  on  the 
veldt,"  especially  after  our  late  seclusion  to 
the  house  at  Blythwood.  My  neck  and 
arms  were  completely  skinned  by  the  united 
exertions  of  sun  and  air,  who  had  gone 
into  partnership  as  doctors,  and  supplied 
me  with  a  gratuitous,  mustard  poultice ! 
I  was  not  at  all  grateful  for  their  exer- 
tions, but  as  I  was  not  likely  to  wear 
evening  dress  in  the  Transkei,  it  did  not 
much  signify;  though  I  carried  the  marks 
for  many  a  day,  and  my  "  scars  "  were  a  last- 
ing souvenir  of  our  first  day  in  camp. — The 
second    day    was    not    so   agreeable. — The 


2  70     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

weather  was  perfect,  but  no  servants  ap- 
peared ;  the  girl  was  grumbling  and  wanted 
to  go  home,  and  I  found,  to  my  dismay,  that 
it  was  pay-day,  (Saturday)  ;  so  neither  my 
husband,  the  escort,  nor  even  the  men,  would 
be  able  to  assist  me  in  any  way,  and  I  could 
not  unpack  our  boxes,  as  they  were  all  at 
sixes  and  sevens,  crowded  into  one  tent,  and 
I  could  not  drag  out  even  the  smallest  with- 
out a  man's  assistance.  We  all  wanted  clean 
clothes  and  a  host  of  other  things,  and  I  felt 
especially  anxious,  as  now  a  fresh  terror  pre- 
sents itself.  Suppose  the  new  baby  should 
take  it  into  his  head,  (of  course  it  will  be 
a  boy,  all  my  sons  are  boys),  to  come  and 
have  a  peep  at  the  camp  to-day,  instead  of 
waiting  politely  until  everything  is  ready  for 
his  reception  !  I  dare  not  speak  to  my  hus- 
band, for  he  is  now  on  duty,  and  I  would  not 
disturb  him  for  anything  less  than  the  Enemy. 
Patience,  Mrs,  Prichard;  sit  still  on  the 
veldt  and  amuse  yourself  watching  the  scene, 
as  circumstances  are  too  much  for  you  ! 
Little  Henry  runs  about,  handing  the  pay  to 
the  men,  and  at  last — after  hours  of   sun- 


Sunset.  271 

shine,  that  I  would  have  given  worlds  to 
have  employed  in  emptying  boxes  and 
arranging  our  bureaux^  Edward  comes  up 
to  ask  if  lunch  is  ready  ?  "  Oh !  never 
mind  lunch,"  I  exclaim;  "that  must  be 
despatched  as  rapidly  as  possible  to-day." 
Of  course  we  both  work  our  hardest  all  the 
afternoon,  but  have  not  accomplished  more 
thau  half  we  ought  to  have  ready,  when  alas  ! 
the  sun  goes  down.  For  the  very  first  time 
I  sink  into  a  chair,  hoping  to  enjoy  ten 
minutes'  quiet  and  a  cup  of  tea,  before  we  set 
to  work  again.  My  husband,  looking  up 
from  his  occupation  of  hammering  down  in- 
secure tent-pegs,  shouts  to  me  the  joyful  in- 
telligence, that  he  is  "  coming  in  a  minute ;" 
and  I  am  just  sighing  out  my  gratitude  for  rest, 
and  my  admiration  of  the  serenity  and  beauty 
of  the  landscape,  which  is  being  hushed  to 
rest  in  the  bosom  of  the  Kei;  when — oh  ! 
never !  "  Good  gracious,  Edward  !  there  are 
two  ladies  and  at  least  five  or  six  gentlemen 
within  two  yards  of  you!"  So  I  have  to 
rise  and  have  all  these  people  presented  to 
me,  and  then  drag  myself  about  and  exhibit 


2/2     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei, 

our  "  establishment."  At  last  tliej  leave, 
and  I  fly  to  my  tent,  and — soon  I  am 
the  proud  mother  of  another  dear  little 
son,  who  smiles  at  us  most  amiably,  and 
does  not  seem  at  all  aware  that  nothing 
is  prepared  for  his  reception,  and  that 
the  box  of  baby  linen  has  not  yet  made 
its  appearance  1  So  the  Httle  one  must  be 
dressed  in  borrowed  plumes  contributed  by 
the  darling — himself  a  baby  still,  (only 
fifteen  months  old,)  who  will  so  soon  ex- 
change these  rough  and  unsuitable  surround- 
ings, for  everything  that  is  bright  and  beau- 
tiful above. 

The  four  ensuing  days  can  only  be  de- 
scribed by  the  one  word,  "  Kafoosalem  !" 
which  my  husband  invariably  applied  to  this 
most  uncomfortable  period  of  our  camp  life. 
The  poor,  distracted  man — ^utterly  out  of  his 
element,  and  bewildered  in  a  maze  of  Babel 
and  Babyland — vainly  endeavoured  to  find  the 
various  garments  required,  which  were  all  in 
far-distant  boxes  in  a  far-away  tent !  Without 
servants,  without  a  nurse,  without  even  a 
moilier -in-law  to  help  him,  (what  would  not 


Kindness  on  all  Sides.  273 

my  husband  have  given  for  the  appearance  of 
that  over-abused  victim  of  popular  prejudice  ?) 
he  strove  patiently  from  sunrise  to   sunset, 
and   if    the   poor   dear    only   succeeded    in 
making   us    miserably  uncomfortable,  I  am 
sure  it  was  not  his  fault,  though  I  could  not 
help  laughing  at  the  very  peculiar  costumes 
in   which   he   attired   us !     Happily   an   old 
Kafir  woman  now  appeared,  and  offered  her 
services,  while  a  very  clever,  bright-looking 
girl,    who    spoke    English   well,    also    came 
to    our   assistance,   and  took   possession   of 
the   new   baby,  while    poor  little    Granville 
was,  alas !  left  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the 
sulky  individual   who   had   accompanied   us 
from   Blythwood.      And  now   I   learn,   not 
for  the  first  time,  how  tender  and  kind  men 
can   be  when   one   really  needs  their  help. 
Our   escort   came    forward   gallantly ;    one 
made  the  gruel  as  if  he  had  done  nothing 
else  all  his  hf e ;  another  rode  off  to  Cunning- 
hame  to  beg  Mrs.  E-oss  for  some  of  her  de- 
licious butter ;    a  third   went  to  forage  for 
chickens  in   order  to    supply  our   little  in- 
valid with  suitable  nourishment,  and  a  fourth 

T 


2  74     Friends  and  Foes  in  tJie  Transkei. 

devoted  the  Sunday  to  amusing  our  poor 
little  eldest  son,  who  seemed  now  "  Nobody's 
Baby."  Unfortunately,  violent  storms  of 
rain  now  set  in  and  lasted  for  four  days  and 
nights ;  and  no  one  but  Mrs.  Hutchinson, 
and  other  ladies  who  liave  really  lived  in 
camp,  can  form  the  smallest  idea  of  the  ad- 
dition this  rain  proved  to  our  sufferings. 
My  own  mind,  too,  was  distracted  with 
anxiety  about  little  Granville.  They  would 
not  let  me  see  him,  and  I  felt  sure  this 
was  a  bad  sign !  Meanwhile  the  rain  de- 
scended, my  husband  went  and  came,  and 
Kafoosalem  reigned  supreme  ! 

On  the  fifth  day,  the  glorious  sunshine  again 
appeared ;  and,  longing  to  put  everything 
in  order,  and  resume  the  care  of  my  poor, 
neglected  children,  I  entreated  Edward  to 
carry  me  out,  bed  and  all,  to  breathe  the 
fresh  air.  He  gladly  complies  with  my  re- 
quest, as  the  tent  is  by  this  time  four  days 
deep  in  mud ;  and  every  oflBcer  who  has  been 
long  under  canvas  knows  what  that  means. 
The  air  revived  me,  and  I.  lay  under  an  um- 
brella, amusing  myself  watching  the  men  who 


A  Pretty  Scene.  275 

were  now  engaged  in  looping  up  the  sides  of 
the  tent  to  dry  it,  and  taking  away  wheel- 
barrow after  wheelbarrowful  of  mud  and 
sodden  grass.  The  ground  was  now  care- 
fully scraped,  swept,  and  left  to  dry;  and 
we  took  care  the  same  thing  should  be  done 
immediately  after  to  the  nursery  tent.  And 
now  I  turn  to  look  at  a  pretty  scene  on  the 
terrace  of  the  hill.  A  friend  of  Selina's  from 
Mr.  Ross's  mission-station  has  relieved  guard, 
sulky  Maria  having  departed ;  and  I  now  see 
the  two  young  nurses,  with  their  slim,  grace- 
ful figures  clad  neatly  in  European  costume, 
walking  up  and  down  the  terrace,  our  two 
babies  in  their  arms;  little  Henry  running 
on  to  gather  flowers  for  his  brothers,  and 
clapping  his  hands  for  joy  that  the  rain  is 
over.  And  now  the  girls,  in  their  own  en- 
joyment of  the  sunshine,  begin  to  sing  most 
melodiously  some  of  the  dear  old  English 
hymns  that  seem  to  take  one  straight  away 
home  in  an  instant.  Our  little  invahd  smiles 
with  pleasure,  raises  his  pretty  head,  and  be- 
gins to  sing !  The  darling  could  not  speak 
yet,  and  I  was  lost  in  amazement,  as  I  heard 
T  2 


276     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

his  sweet,  clear  voice  rise  in  harmonious 
tones  and  almost  heavenly  accents,  upon  the 
morning  air.  I  fancied  it  was  an  omen  of  re- 
turning health  and  strength,  and  little  knew 
it  was  the  song  of  the  dying  swan ; .  the  last 
faint  flicker  of  the  flame ;  and  that  even  now, 
angels  were  on  their  way  to  bear  my  birdie 
home.  After  the  walk  was  over  I  managed 
to  crawl  to  the  children's  tent  to  see  our 
little  invalid  properly  dressed  and  washed, 
and  now  I  see  for  the  first  time  the  frightful 
change  that  has  taken  place  during  those 
four  days.  Oh,  how  they  have  neglected 
him  !  My  darling  is  being  starved  to  death  ! ! 
And  now  I  pray, — nay,  all  but  demand, 
supernatural  strength  to  nurse  and  tend  the 
little  skeleton  from  whom  others  shrink  in 
selfish  terror.  My  new  baby  is  apparently 
strong  and  well;  he  must  wait  for  his  mother's 
love  until  Granville  is  safe, — ^^one  way  or  the 
other !  All  that  day  I  stand  upon  the 
veldt,  for  Heaven  has  heard  my  prayer, 
and  fierce,  fresh  life  seems  to  thrill  through 
every  vein  and  strengthen  every  nerve,  as  I 
think  of  my  child's  approaching  -battle  with 


A  Little  Sufferer.  277 

death. — We  engage  a  clever,  active  woman 
to  starch  and  iron  and  help  me  to  put  things 
tidy ;  that  is  to  say,  tidy  enough  for  this  time 
of  emergency ;  prettiness,  and  the  order  I 
should  like  about  my  home,  must  wait  for 
many  a  long  day  yet.  "Never  mind  my  dress ; 
anything  will  do  for  me ;  something  that  will 
wa'sh — a  white  dress  if  possible  ;  so  that  when 
my  child  awakes  in  heaven  he  will  think  the 
angel  near  him  is  his  mother."  All  day  long 
I  sit  beside  his  bed,  or  hold  him  on  my  lap 
outside  the  tent  that  he  may  breathe  the 
pure  air ;  my  pretty  infant  can  only  come  to 
me  occasionally,  when  Granville  sleeps ;  for 
he  is  furious  at  the  sight  of  his  little  brother 
and  beats  him  fiercely  away  with  his  feverish 
hand.  Thus  a  whole  month  passes  away; 
visitors  come  and  go  daily,  officers  pass  up  and 
down,  amongst  them  our  kind,  old  friend  Cap- 
tain (now  Major)  Robinson,  whose  sympathy 
seems  ready  and  sincere.  The  24th  depart, 
and  are  succeeded  by  some  Pullen  Rangers ; 
troops  march  through  Toleni ;  some  imperial, 
many  irregular,  and  all  this  time  I  scarcely 
stir  from  my  darling's  side ;  or  dress,  or  eat, 


278     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

or  sleep.  But  now  warm,  genial  weather 
seems  to  put  fresh  life  into  the  child,  and 
one  wild,  wicked  moment  I  vow  that  death 
shall  never  snatcJa  him  from  me  until  he  has 
struck  me  down  first. — And  now,  on  Sunday 
night,  the  7th  of  April,  my  warning  comes  ! 
I  fall  asleep  and  dream  that  my  little 
invalid  is  lying  in  my  arms,  when  a  veiled 
figure  approaches ;  and,  in  tearing  my  child 
from  my  clasping  arms,  crushes  me  with  its 
awful  weight.  I  awake  trembling  and  weep- 
ing, and  know  I  must  submit. — That  very 
day  a  bitter  dust-storm  shakes  down  our  tents 
and  chills  his  little  life  away. 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 

A   Child's    Funeral — Illness — Life    in    a    Dungeon — A 
"  Kafir  Palace." 

As  I  go  to  fetcli  some  milk  from  the  "  mess  " 
tent,  I  fall  prone  to  the  very  earth  in  sheer 
physical  exhaustion,  having  met  with  an 
injury  in  nursing  Granville.  They  bring  a 
little  camp-bedstead,  lay  me  gently  on  it;  and 
never  again  do  I  gaze  upon  my  darling's 
large,  blue  eyes  or  see  a  look  of  love  upon 
that  patient  face.  All  day  I  am  nearly  un- 
conscious, but  at  midnight  I  call  to  my  hus- 
band— who  does  not  reply;  for  he  sees  that  our 
darling  is  passing  away. — Another  relapse 
into  unconsciousness,  and  now  T  am  awake 
again,  quite  awake,  and — something  is  in  the 
tent !  Ah  me,  it  was  the  touch  of  an  angel's 
wing  as  he  bore  my  child  away. 

All  night  long  we  watched;   and,  in  the 


28o     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Trans kei. 

early  morning,  a  messenger  goes  to  good 
Mrs.  Ross,  the  wife  of  the  honest  and 
upright  missionary  at  Cunningham.  He 
returns  with  lovely  rosebuds  for  my  angel- 
child,  and  a  gentle  note  of  tender  sympathy 
for  me.  And  in  the  grey,  chilly,  winter  after- 
noon, a  little  procession  passes  through  our 
camp  to  give  almost  military  honours  to  my 
little  hero. 

Our  own  dear  escort  carry  him  reverently 
to  the  little  grave  prepared  for  him  on  the 
mountain  side,  and  there  the  solemn 
service  is  read,  and  little  Henry  sees  his 
brother  laid  tenderly  to  rest,  by  the  kind 
hands  which  have  often  played  with  the 
darling,  and  whose  sympathetic  help  is  now 
so  sweet  a  solace  in  the  midst  of  our  deep 
grief ! '  As  the  white  coffin  passes  my  tent,  I 
dare  not  weep,  for  now  our  other  babe  has 
the  first  claim,  and  no  selfish  indulgence  of 
my  anguish  must  deprive  him  of  his  rights. 
I  cannot  yet  rise  from  my  bed,  and  when  I 
.do  so  at  the  end  of  a  week,  it  is  a  weary, 

^  I  can  never  thank  them  enough — we  felt  it  very 
much. 


Sunshine  amidst  Shadow.  281 

broken-hearted  woman  who  comes  forth  to 
face  her  clouded  future,  and  who  looks  back 
upon  the  merry  creature  who  laughed  her 
way  into  Toleni,  as  upon  a  lost  friend  whom 
one  will  never  meet  again. — And  now  littlo 
Henry  takes  his  place  as  my  eldest  son,  and 
comforts  me  as  no  one  else  can. — He  sits 
beside  me  for  hours,  kissing  and  stroking  my 
hand ;  and  when  I  totter  from  one  tent  to  the 
other,  he  walks  beside  me,  that  I  may  support 
myself  by  resting  my  hand  upon  his  shoulder. 
For  a  great  change  has  fallen  over  me;  all 
my  energy  seems  to  have  gone  with  my 
vanished  strength,  and  I  sit  in  the  midst  of 
disorder  that  would  have  worried  me  to  death 
three  months  before ;  uncomfortable  at  it,  and 
vaguely  annoyed  by  it;  but  patiently  hoping 
next  week  I  shall  feel  stronger,  and  then  I 
can  soon  put  everything  to  rights.  For  I  really 
am  not  very  strong,  and  it  is  many  weeks 
before  I  can  even  go  to  see  my  child's 
grave,  and  that  will  be  my  first  pilgrimage. 
For  in  the  distance  a  cairn  is  rising  to  mark 
the  spot,  and  when  it  is  completed,  a  lofty 
cross  will  surmount  the  whole ;  to  serve  as  a 


282     Friends  mid  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

memorial  of  the  patient  little  darling  whose 
life  here  was  one  weary  day  of  pain ! 

But  I  must  rouse  from  my  reverie,  for  my 
husband  is  begging  me  to  come  and  "  look  at 
the  Dungeon,"  and  I  must  affect  an  interest 
I  do  not  feel,  for  his  sake.  Now  to  explain ; — 
ever  since  the  first  dust-storm  we  have  had 
such  a  succession  of  furious  gales,  that  our 
tents  afford  but  scanty  shelter;  some  are 
tearing  into  ribbons,  and  we  must  seek  some 
other  dwelling  as  fast  as  we  can.  One  day 
my  husband  begins  digging  a  hole  in  the  hill, 
and  informs  me  that  I  am  going  to  live  in 
this  hole  some  day  ! 

"  Live  in  it ! — Die  in  it,  you  mean  !  "  I 
incredulously  reply. 

My  husband,  however,  knows  what  he  is 
about,  and  at  last  completes  a  gigantic  exca- 
vation, which  assumes  the  dimensions  and 
shape  of  a  long,  deep  room.  Kafir  women 
are  now  summoned,  who  smear  the  walls  and 
floor  with  "  dargha "  (dried  manure),  and 
work  up  the  surface  with  crushed  ant-heap. 
This  process  of  "  papering  "  is  not  very  agree- 
able, and  we  suffer  from  nausea  and  head- 


Life  in  a  Dungeon.  283 

ache  the  whole  time.  Once  dry,  however,  it 
is  all  right.  After  a  proper  interval,  the 
same  women  stain  the  surface  with  red 
ochre,  which  is  afterwards  white-washed.  A 
wooden  door  and  window  are  now  added,  (as 
the  upper  part  of  the  Dungeon  is  the  sod 
wall  of  our  camp),  and  a  canvas  cover  is  put 
over  the  whole  by  way  of  a  roof.  A  pro- 
cession of  women  carry  thither  carpets  and 
furniture  one  Saturday  afternoon,  and  that 
night,  the  4th  May,  we  all  sleep  there  for  the 
first  time.  The  dimensions  of  our  apart- 
ment seem  almost  palatial  after  the  tents ; 
we  dine  there  by  lamp-light  at  a  nice,  good- 
sized  table,  and  think  the  Dungeon  a  great 
success.  Next  day  is  extremely  warm  ;  the 
sunshine  throws  such  pretty  tints  through 
the  canvas  roof  upon  the  crimson  carpet  and 
Swedish  furniture,  that  I  sit  "  like  a  lady  "  in 
a  "  book  muslin  gown,"  and  write  a  couleur-de 
rose  effusion  to  my  Mother  in  England,  de- 
scribing the  charms  of  Life  in  a  Dungeon  in 
terms  almost  calculated  to  make  every  reader 
turn  pale  with  envy  !  I  am  washing  my  hands 
to  remove  the  very  numerous  ink-stains  with 


284     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

whicli  my  fingers  are  adorned,  when  I  see 
something  looking  at  me  out  of  the  pink 
wall.  "  Ugh  !  oh  !  John,  Selina,  Somebody  ! 
come  quick  and  take  away  this  creature  out 
of  the  wall !  "  and  I  retreat  to  avoid  seeing 
the  unsightly  worm  which  John  gradually 
succeeds  in  removing.  I  now  draw  the  beds 
farther  away  from  the  "  pretty,  pink  wall "  I 
had  so  gushingly  described,  and  think  it 
fortunate  my  letter  is  already  on  its  way  to 
cheer  the  anxious  mother  about  her  Crusoe- 
like daughter  !  I  have  engaged  a  Kafir  maid, 
who  is  to  come  next  day  to  assist  in 
needlework,  and  run  about  for  me,  &c.,  as  I 
am  too  weak  to  do  much,  and  next  morning 
sit  down  in  peace  and  quiet  to  sew  beside  my 
maid,  like  a  lady  at  home.  Quiet ! — At 
this  moment  a  furious  and  totally  unexpected 
gust  of  wind,  blows  our  roof  off;  while 
clouds  of  dust  whirl  down  upon  the  neatly- 
arranged  room,  and  make  the  whole  place 
only  fit  for  a  chimney-sweep.  We  have  to 
put  aside  our  needlework,  and  return  to 
the  tents,  which  are  blowing  away  in  all 
directions,  and  it  is  the  work  of  a  day  to 


Basket- Work  I  285 


put  things  to  rights  again.  A  succession 
of  dust-storms  by  day,  and  floods  of  rain  at 
night,  which  deluge  our  beds,  and  make 
everything  most  dismal,  convince  us  that  the 
Dungeon  can  scarcely  be  looked  upon  as 
anything  but  a  temporary  residence;  and 
my  husband  now  commences  to  erect  a  "  Kafir 
Palace." 


286     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 

Arrival  of  the  24th  Regiment  at  Toleni — "  Under  Orders 
for  Home  " — Official  Inspection  of  the  General  Coni- 
-'manding-in-Chief — A  Novice  in  the  Cuisine. 

This  is  a  work  of  time,  and  we  do  not  go 
into  quarters  at  the  "  Palace  "until  the  18th 
of  June,  after  having  slept  under  canvas  since 
the  1  s t  of  March.  Meanwhile  vario  us  interest- 
ing events  occur,  among  which  I  may  note 
the  arrival  of  the  24th  Regiment  at  Toleni 
on  Sunday,  the  9th  of  June.  Major  Logan  and 
Captain  Austen  came  in  the  morning  to  ask 
my  husband  to  help  them  about  something 
or  other,  oxen,  I  think ;  and  both  were  very 
kind  to  our  little  son  Henry,  who  evidently 
admired  the  soldiers  very  much,  particularly 
Major  Logan,  who  had  a  red  coat  on !  I 
could  not  receive  them  myself,  as  my  spirits 
were  still  quite  unequal  to  the  effort  of  meet- 
ing any  but  old  friends,  but  I  had  a  little 


ArHval  of  the  General.  287 

peep  at  them  out  of  the  Dungeon,  and  quite 
appreciated  their  kindness  to  our  little 
son.  In  the  afternoon,  my  husband  per- 
suaded me  to  walk  up  to  the  hotel  to  visit  a 
lady  who  was  staying  there,  and  as  Captain 
Austen  and  Major  Logan  did  the  same  thing, 
we  met  them  again.  Captain  Austen's  quiet, 
gentle  manner  pleased  me  very  much,  and  I 
was  greatly  distressed  when  I  heard  that  he 
and  others  whom  we  had  met  had  perished  on 
the  field  of  Isandlhana.  They  were  in  good 
spirits,  as  they  were  under  orders  for  home, 
and  pitied  us  for  being  compelled  to  remain 
in  the  Transkei,  as  much  as  we  envied  them 
for  leaving  it.  How  little  I  guessed,  as 
Captain  Austen  held  open  the  door  for  me  as 
I  left,  that  it  was  I  who  would  see  dear  old 
England  again,  while  he  would  find  a  hero's 
grave  in  Zululand  1  Another  day.  Lord 
Chelmsford  (then  General  Thesiger)  and  his 
stafi",  made  a  commotion  in  our  very  small 
world.  My  husband  went  down  to  pay  his 
respects,^  and   our  friend  Major   Robinson, 

^  The  Commander-in-Chief  at  the  Cape  is  also  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor of  the  Colony. 


288     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

dined  and  remained  that  night  with  us ;  but  I 
need  hardly  say  our  recent  loss  was  sufficient 
reason  to  prevent  my  wishing  any  one  else  to 
visit  us  so  soon.  I  fear  the  Major  fared  but 
badly,  as  poor  John,  our  Kafir  chef^  qtA^ 
knew  how  to  cook  ahoid  three  things  at  that 
time,  and  had  yet  to  acquire  the  noble  art, 
in  which  he  afterwards  improved  so  rapidly ! 
However,  our  guest  made  kind  allowance  for 
all  deficiencies,  and  was  so  amusing  that  he 
made  me  laugh  for  the  first  time  since  my 
darling's  death. 


CONCLUSION. 

Arrival  of  "Wood's  Flying  Column"  at  Toleni— Mutton 
or  Music? — Such  a  Band! — The  Queen's  Colours — 
An  Impromptu  Christening — Anecdote  of  a  Kafir 
Girl — Failing  Health — Projected  Tour — Zanzibar 
— ^Adieu — Grod  save  the  Queen. 

Our  next,  small  excitement  was  on  Satur- 
day, the  29tli  of  June,  when  the  90th  Regi- 
ment passed  through  Toleni,^  and  encamped 
for  Sunday's  rest  on  a  hill  about  half  a  mile 
away.  My  husband  told  me  they  were  going 
to  bring  their  band,  and  this  exciting  piece  of 
intelligence  kept  me  on  the  qui-vive  all  the 
morning.  I  could  resist  the  General,  T.  could 
resist  the  24th,  but  I  could  not  resist  a 
Band  !  !  So  I  sat  sewing  with  my  hat  on, 
ready  to  dash  out  of  the  "  palace  "  at  a  mo- 
ment's notice.     In  vain  John  informed  me 

'  On  their  way  overland  to  Natal, 

U 


290     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

"luncli"  was  ready,  and  the  cutlets  were 
"turning  black ! " — ^Who  could  think  of  mutton 
and  music  in  the  same  breath  ?  Out  I  flew, 
as  my  husband  shouted  "  Here  they  come  !  " 
through  the  open  door  of  the  hut.  John 
snatched  up  his  cutlets  and  hastily  followed 
me,  and  we  abandoned  the  Public  Works  Camp 
in  the  most  disgraceful  manner.  And  now  we 
stand  quietly  at  the  side  of  the  road  to  see  the 
beautiful  spectacle.  How  our  hearts  beat 
and  our  pulses  thrill,  as  the  stately  column 
passes  grandly  along ;  for  are  not  these  our 
own  countrymen,  come  to  defend  us  with 
their  latest  breath;  and  do  they  not  bring 
with  them  a  breath  of  home  and  all  that  is 
most  dear?  As  the  band  approaches,  I  cannot 
help  whispering,  "  Oh,  if  they  would  but 
play !  "  and  lo  !  at  the  same  instant,  as  if  by 
magic,  a  most  enchanting  air — so  soft,  so 
sweet,  so  exquisitely  in  harmony  with  the 
clear  atmosphere,  the  blue  sky,  and  the  mag- 
nificent scenery — steals  upon  one's  ear,  and 
dissolves  us  all  into  tears.  But  now  we  re- 
verently salute  the  Queen's  colours,  and — feel- 
ing I  can  bear  no  more — I  run  away,  and  wish 


Py ramus  and  Thtsbe  !  291 

all  their  foes,  may  do  "  that  same  "  !  We  now 
return  to  John  and  the  cutlets,  which  disap- 
pear ;  but  whether  they  were  brown,  black, 
or  white,  is  a  matter  of  the  utmost  indiffer- 
ence to  us  all ! 

With  the  exception  of  dust-storms  and. 
visitors,  both  events  of  almost  daily  oc- 
currence, nothing  important  happened  in 
our  Httle  household  until  the  18th  July, 
when  an  interesting  but  impromptu  cere- 
mony was  performed  there.  I  had  been 
ill,  and  was  only  dressing  in  time  for 
lunch,  when  I  heard  a  voice  asking  in 
very  gentle  tones,  "Are  there  any  babies 
here  to  christen  ?  "  "  Yes,  yes.  Plenty  !  " 
I  exclaim  in  my  nervousness  (from  the 
other  side  of  the  partition-wall) ;  "  please 
be  kind  enough  to  sit  down;  my  hus- 
band will  be  here  in  a  moment,  and  we 
hope  you  will  stop  to  lunch."  (I  haven't 
the  faintest  idea  whom  I  am  addressing, 
but  consider  myself  a  connoisseur  in 
voices,  and  know  it  is  all  right,  and  that 
the  unknown  is  a  gentleman — an  English- 
man, too,  I  think.)  My  husband  now  ap- 
u  2  ■ 


292     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

pears,  and  informs  me  tliat  the  Eev. will 

be  kind  enougli  to  cliristen  baby  immediately, 
and  has  gone  to  fetch  his  surplice.  I  send 
for  baby,  hastily  put  a  pretty,  English,  white 
frock  over  his  Transkei  garments;  request 
"  Mr.  Burke "  to  do  proxy  for  an  absent 
godfather  (Major  Elliot)  ;  snatch  the  bread 
out  of  the  cake-basket,  and  put  water 
into  it  by  way  of  a  font ;  summon  the  ser- 
vants (who  are  excited  and  interested),  to  act 
congregation;  and  the  ceremony  begins.  I  am 
not  in  a  devotional  mood,  and  cannot  feel  as 
one  ought,  at  a  moment's  notice.  Baby  is  a 
dreadfully  old,  baby,  and  doesn't  behave  at 
all  properly,  and  at  first  I  am  rather  in- 
clined to  laugh  !  How^ever,  the  beautifully 
simple  service  touches  my  heart,  and  brings 
back  thoughts  of  our  lost  darling  and  of 
dearly-loved  friends  who  assisted  at  his 
christening  !  Tears  gather  in  my  eyes  as  I 
think  of  the  woman  I  so  dearly  love,  and  from 
whom  circumstances  have  divided  me;  and 
now  I  am  quiet  enough,  as  the  good  clergy- 
man blesses  the  poor  little  child  who  came  to 
us  in  a  tent,  and  without  a  single  comfort 


A  New  Kind  of  Chimney.  293 

about  him !  "Bernard  Elliot ; "  yes :  that  name 
will  recall  family  associations,  and  the  kind 
friend  who  has  been  so  closely  connected  with 
our  hfe  in  the  Transkei ; — and  now  the  good 
clergyman  has  gone,  and  we  are  receiving 
other  visitors  who  have  no  idea  what  has  just 
occurred. 

A  Kafir  hut  is  a  queer  place  for  a 
christening; — but  I  don't  think  I  have  de- 
scribed our  little  cabin,  and  must  do  so 
before  I  say  farewell  to  my  friends.  It  is 
exactly  like  any  other  hut,  only  very  much 
larger  ;  being  fully  thirty  feet  in  diameter.  It 
is  divided  by  a  partition  into  two  large,  semi- 
circular rooms ;  one  of  which  is  of  course  our 
bedroom  and  the  other  our  sitting-room. 
Into  the  centre  of  this  partition-wall  is  built 
our  range,  from  the  dear  little  kitchen  at 
Idutywa,  and  our  chimney  is  a  telegraph- 
pole,  which  my  husband  sweeps  every  other 
day  !  !  But  if  I  begin  to  talk  about  our  life  in 
a  Kafir  hut,  I  may  just  as  well  commence 
another  volume  at  once,  for  every  day  there 
was  an  amusing  or  pathetic  episode,  and  the 
patience  of  my  readers  would  be  exhausted. 


294     Pr tends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

One,  however,  I  may  mention ;   reserving  all 
others  for  a  future  occasion. 

The  Kafir  belles  look  really  picturesque 
in  their  native  dress,  which  is  perfectly 
modest  and  dignified,  and  certainly  the  best 
thing  they  could  possibly  wear  on  the 
breezy  highlands  of  the  Transkei,  where 
they  are  scorched  by  tropical  sunshine  one 
moment  and  exposed  to  an  icy  blast  the  next. 
But  in  their  caricatures  of  European  costume 
they  are  simply  ridiculous,  especially  as  nearly 
all  their  dresses  are  sent  out  second-hand 
from  ladies'  wardrobes  at  home;  and  I 
remember  the  difficulty  with  which  I  kept 
my  gravity  when  a  favourite  domestic  paraded 
up  and  down  in  the  wilderness,  clad  in  the 
thinnest  of  transparent,  black  grenadines, 
which  had  once  been  a  really  pretty,  evening- 
dress  for  a  "  blonde,"  but  transformed  into  the 
9o\e  garment  of  a  brunette  on  a  windy 
ivinter's  day,  looked  the  very  personification 
of  unsuitable  finery  !  The  only  redeeming 
feature  in  the  affair  was  the  beaming  face  of 
the  happy  wearer,  who  was  so  charmed  with 
her  dress  that  I  really  had  not  the  heart  to 
undeceive    her.      However,    I   ventured    to 


Domine  Dirige  Nos  I  295 

present  her  with  an  aged  satin  skirt,  with 
which  she  was  perfectly  enchanted ;  and  by  the 
addition  of  a  black  under-bodice  and  a  few 
other  necessaries  managed  to  make  her  pre- 
sentable for  that  day  !  However,  Miss  Lizzie 
did  not  altogether  appreciate  the  idea  of  wear- 
ing black  satin  under  her  dress,  so  next  day, 
oh  a  blazing  hot  morning,  I  found  her  sitting 
in  the  dusthole,  the  centre  of  a  circle  of 
envious  but  admiring  lady  friends,  with  her 
newly-acquired  treasure  put  on  outside  her 
cotton  working-gown,  and,  I  need  scarcely 
add,  that  by  the  end  of  the  day,  it  was  so 
much  injured  by  this  unexpected  treatment, 
that  I  almost  regretted  having  interfered 
at  all,  and  felt  tempted  to  let  them  all  con- 
vert themselves  into  scarecrows,  a  piacere. 

My  failing  health  soon  rendered  a  trip  to 
England  necessary,  and  as  peace  was  de- 
clared, and  the  very  last  remnant  of  a  red-coat 
had  vanished  from  the  Transkei,  we  were  now 
at  liberty  to  think  of  ourselves.  As  cold 
weather  would  not  be  at  all  likely  to  benefit 
me,  we  decided  to  pass  the  winter  months  in 
the  Tropics,  Egypt,  and  the  Alediterranean, 
hoping  to  reach  England  in  the  spring  of  1879. 


296     Friends  and  Foes  in  the  Transkei. 

My  husband  thought  it  not  unlikely  that  en 
route  we  might  find  some  climate  which  would 
recruit  my  health  and  suit  him  professionally 
at  the  same  time.  We  left  Toleni  camp  on 
the  25th  of  September,  and  arrived  safely  at 
Zanzibar  on  the  15th  of  November,  1878, 
taking  with  us  kind  wishes  and  regrets  from 
the  friends  left  behind,  and  papers  from  my 
husband's  ofiicial  chief,  testifying  to  the 
services  he  had  rendered  the  colony,  and 
fully  explaining  the  reason  of  our  departure. 
Armed  with  these  papers  we  steamed  away 
for  Zanzibar. — And  here  I  will  rest  for  the 
present,  tendering  my  sincere  thanks  to  my 
patient  readers,  and  offering  very  grateful 
remembrances  to '  the  friends  at  Zanzibar 
who  gave  us  so  kind  a  welcome !  (I  need 
scarcely  say,  we  were  not  supposed  to  have 
any  foes  there.)  And  now  adieu;  but  aS 
I  consider  myself  quite  a  little  soldier,  hav- 
ing been  close  to  the  front  all  through  a 
campaign,  during  which  I  suffered  many  a 
wound,  let  my  last  words  be  : — The  Queen  ! 


QII.BEUT    AND   BIVINQTON,   PRINTBES,   ST.   JOHN's   SQVAKE,   LONDON. 


University  of  CalifotniaUbrary 

Los  Angdes  _ — _ 

university  of  Camornia 
SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  U^n?.  BOX  95^388 
305  De  Neve  Drive  -  ^^^^^^'^^^'^  ^ 

LOS  ANGELES,  ^Aur^  borrowed. 

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